A Chance at Redemption
by Manika-on-a-whim
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha enters the Fourth Shinobi War and decides to help the Allied Nations. But after a little convicing from Madara Uchiha, he joins the enemy. The war ends with the defeat and loss of the Five Kages. And Naruto? Naruto is..dead! With the Kages gone and Kakashi in coma, Sakura and her group of rebels will wage a civil war. But who knew she'll get married in the process...
1. -:Mirrored Emotions:-

**Posted on: 28/12/16**

 **A/N: This is my first attempt at writing a multi-chaptered fanfiction. So please bear with my mistakes and review the chapter to let me know what you think of it...:)**

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 **Summary**

 **Cover done by Infinite_Writer01**

 **The fourth shinobi war takes an unexpected turn when Sasuke Uchiha enters and decides to help the allied nations fight against the enemy. But after hearing a few convincing words from Madara Uchiha, he joins his side. The war reaches an outcome by the defeat and loss of the five kages. And Naruto? Naruto is...dead?**

 **Now with the Kages gone and Kakashi deep in a comatose sleep, it is upto Sakura and her group of rebels to wage a civil war and save the gradually declining world of Shinobi. But who knew she'll get married in the process of trial at achieving her goal. And that too, to the one and only boy of her dreams, the love of her life, Sasuke Uchiha.**

 **What will happen? Read on to find out...**

 **Pairings:-**

 **Main: SasuSaku**

 **Minor: NaruHina, InoSai, ShikaTema & ChoKaru**

 **Others: ObiRin, SuiKari and many others**

 **© Copyright 2016 Manika Chandra**

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 ** _"Don't speak...  
Mentally, I'm delicate.  
Don't touch...  
Physically, I'm fragile."  
-Sakura Haruno_**

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 **Chapter 1: Mirrored Emotions**

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"She's pregnant."

Those were the first words uttered in the afternoon warmth of the dead-silent, hospital. A woman with silky-black locks, reaching down to her shoulders, pursed her lips in a tight smile after the small revelation that she had just made to the young couple seated on two beautifully-carved, wooden chairs before her desk. They looked at her with hints of barely concealed excitement in their eyes and twitches of lips, aching to smile. But for some reason, the hard look in the black-haired woman's equally dark irises, prevented them from doing so. It was as if the news of a new life entering this world did not give any mirth to the lady, as if it only disheartened her even more.

A soft sigh escaped her lips and she finally rolled her tongue to begin with the explanation of her cause of distress.

"She is also suffering from cold."

The woman spoke, glancing at the soon-to-be mother with concern but with disappointment at her husband.

"Oh..." The man nodded.

"Don't you dare 'Oh' this situation! This woman here, your wife, will soon give birth to your child and you can't even take care of her?! Her sickness will effect not only her but the unborn child's heath too!" The woman scolded the man, her irises turning into a darker shade of black.

"I'm sorry Doctor," the man bowed his head apologetically, "I don't have enough money to buy the proper medicines for her cold fevers. I-I-I will try my best to take care of her."

His words were not enough to satisfy the doctor and she stomped her hands on her desk to stand-up. She stroked her locks behind her ears and began speaking.

"I know living in this village is not as easy as it used to be. It is tough for me as well...but you are this lady's husband. It is your duty to take care of her." she spoke softly.

"Um...excuse me Doctor," this time the mother of the unborn child spoke, "He is not my husband."

The doctor slightly jerked-away from her desk, her hand waving clumsily, making the glass full of water topple-down from her desk. Only the sway of cool winds accompanied the moment of silence after the lady's surprising confession. It left the doctor completely clueless about the whole situation. If the pair before her is not an actual married couple then why is this man helping this woman out? Or why exactly is this lady letting him help her out with her tests? She had no idea of this situation and held no knowledge of the relationship between the two. She wanted to simply ask them about the whole mess but feared that it would only make her sound rude.

"My husband left me and ran away from this village. He considered me..a burden...", the lady explained even when the doctor hadn't asked her to.

"...but then..he came" the lady said, entwining her fingers with the man next to her, flashing him an affectionate look. The man softly smiled back, tightening his grip on her fingers.

The doctor watched the sweet gesture between the two presumed lovers and couldn't help her lips from curving-up into a sad smile. Something sharp stung her chest, making her place one shaky arm over the affected region and soothe it in slow strokes. Maybe these two are not bound to each-other by marriage but still, they are connected with each-other by the strings of their hearts. The man who left this lady to die must have been a real selfish jerk but not this guy. He embraced this lady even though he had nothing to give her but his unwavering love. And it is touching how the lady allowed her soul to fall into the talons of this feeling again, even after knowing that it had once left her broken.

"I will give you the proper medicines for the cold...free of cost. But promise me that you will take sincere care of her." The doctor spoke earnestly to the man.

Both of them were completely taken aback by her statement. She offered them medicines without any fee? This is the first time someone has been so generous to them in five months and they didn't want to let the opportunity slip out of their reach. So, without any more expressions of astonishment, they thanked the doctor and took the list of medicines that she instructed them to fetch from the counter at the right hand side, down the stairs.

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After five hours of paying full attention to her patients, the black-haired woman locked her room and went downstairs to make an exit and enjoy a few minutes break.

"Will you come back in the evening, Minamoto-senpai?" A young nurse asked her on her way out of the main doors and she only nodded in response.

She was lost in a myriad of her troubling thoughts again. And the situation of that pregnant woman and her lover just added to her tension. She wondered, if they can't even afford two square meals then how exactly are they going to raise this coming child in a healthy atmosphere?

She sighed. But it's not their fault that the world has turned so...dark... Shinobi have started destroying this whole world, making the remaining specks of humanity wither at a slow and steady rate. Who is to blame? The answer is as simple as filing the records of patients. One of the strongest shinobi the world has ever heard of, namely Madara Uchiha along with a few of his wacky minions are responsible for the current state of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. But this is not all. Madara even managed to take-over the other nations in a few hours of the fourth shinobi war.

She sucked in an ounce of air to calm her trembling nerves. It irked her that even the mere thought of that man could make her shiver like a chicken. She closed her eyes and shook her head. When she flipped them open again, she saw herself standing before a flower shop- The Yamanaka Flower Shop- she recalled. In her zoned-out state, she ended-up reaching the doors to one of the remaining, most amiable places of Konohagakure.

"Forehead! Whatcha doin here? Come inside girl!"

A very, high-pitched voice called the black-haired woman with barely concealed excitement. The said woman hissed at the daughter of the shop's owner and pounced at the girl. She tackled her to the floor of the reception, clamped a hand to the cheerful girl's mouth and clumsily closed the door of the shop using her leg.

"Mmmfff! Lemme...ghoff!" The blue-eyed, blonde tried pushing the dark-haired girl away from herself.

With a roll of her opal irises, the other girl let go of the blonde, stood up and helped the sky blue-eyed girl back on her feet, avoiding the stares that the customers of the shop were flashing their way.

"How many times have I told you about keeping a low profile, Ino?" The girl whispered.

Ino looked back at her apologetically and spoke, "Sorry Sakura. You know I suck at this."

"This is the fifth time this week. Here I am trying to cover-up my true identity and you just spoil it with your childish antics!" The girl yelled back.

Ino sighed, forming a hand sign and then with her index and middle finger poked the black haired girl on her nose, making her nicely crafted henge disappear in a whiff. The black of her irises faded into a beryl shade of emerald while her dark, silky locks turned into a beautiful shade of pink. Even the insignia on her left breast changed from the title of 'Ms. K. Minamoto' to the original 'Ms. S. Haruno'.

"Ah..now this looks much better. The same old, lovely Sakura that you are..." Ino muttered dreamily.

The now revealed girl placed a hand on her forehead and shook her head in despair, "Ino I have already told you that I hate it when people recognise me and-"

"Oh! If I'm not mistaken then you are the apprentice of the Slug-Princess and a member of the team lead by the famous Copy Ninja, Kakashi of the Sharingan, right?" A wrinkled, old woman in her 80s interrupted Sakura and asked.

"I_" Sakura tried to stop the woman but was interrupted again.

"Where are they? Lady Hokage and Kakashi Hatake? And what about the Hero of our village, the Kyuubi boy, where is he?"

Sakura tried to speak but felt her breath hitch.

Another woman, probably a friend of the other one, stepped closer to her and spoke, "Yes! I also remember you!"

Ino noted the urgency in the other lady's voice and moved towards the the two customers who had suddenly lost all their interest in buying flowers and were now engaged in torturing her childhood friend verbally. She was sure this other woman will speak something forbidden by Sakura and end up mutilating the already injured mind and body of the pinkette.

The woman continued desperately, "You know Sasuke Uchiha right? Yes, you must know him since he was once a part of your team. Can you-can you please talk to him and ask him if my son can do some job for him? My son was a very talented shinobi but after Lord Madara's victory in the war, he-"

"He banned all shinobi activity from Konoha except for a few of his faithful sycophants." Ino finished sarcastically for the old lady, stepping in between them in a manner to shield Sakura from their scrutinizing eyes.

"Now don't be rude young lady." The woman scolded Ino, "Step aside, I want to talk to the protégée of the Slug Princess!"

"No! There's no need for that" the blonde intoned.

"Please," the woman craned her head to the side to be able to look at Sakura and said, "Please talk to him. Please, I beg you! My son will die..."

"Your son is already dead Granny." Another female spoke from behind, intervening in the chaotic situation occurring inside the shop.

Both Ino and the ladies turned their heads to see who the new member of their argument was. A young girl about 14-15 years of age, bowed her head in apology to a shaking Sakura and grabbed both the woman by each of her two hands.

"My son...is..dead?..." Silently, tears started welling up in the woman's aged-eyes as she uttered those words and started weeping.

"No! It can't be!" She jerked her head towards Sakura, "Bring him back...please! Please, please, please..."

The woman kept screaming, pleading until she was forcefully dragged-out of the shop along with the wrinkled lady, by the young girl.

Ino sighed in relief when the ladies were finally gone. She promised to herself to never reveal Sakura's true form in public ever again. Especially if majority of them consisted of people suffering from mental disorders.

She turned back towards Sakura and noticed that her friend's skin had gone as pale as snow and also, her whole form was shaking. Sakura's eyes were fixated upon her yet she was lost somewhere else in a miasma of her past experiences. Ino tried calling her out of it several times but it was too late. She was already lost far away in a labyrinth of her tormenting past.

Sakura could still hear the desperate pleas of the old woman. They reminded her very much of the deafening screams of hundreds of Konoha shinobi who pleaded before Madara so that their lives would be spared. She could still hear them. She could still hear the agonized screeching of her Mentor, crippling before the invincible Uchiha. She could still hear the cries of her idiotic, blonde teammate, begging their silver-haired sensei to protect him, save him from the clutches of Sasuke's barrage of impenetrable onslaught of attacks. Heck! She could still hear her sensei apologising to Obito, to let the blonde, knuckle-head live. But no...none of them was able to endure the pain of those cold, crimson irises.

Tsunade lost her breath, maybe forever. She was found nowhere after the war was over. Not even her body. And Naruto, Sakura exhaled grimly, even his body went missing. The only one who somehow managed to survive the assault of the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan was Kakashi. He was safely taken back to the village and was given proper treatment. But the catch is, he has gone in a temporary coma and no one knows when he will regain consciousness or that if he will ever come out of it. Not just that, all the other four kages met the same fate as her shishou. They were all brutally defeated and then went missing right after the war. They vanished as if they never really existed.

And this is not even half of what the Uchihas did. As soon as Madara took-over the position of the Hokage, he banned all shinobi activity and jobs and also stripped them off their insignia. Out of fear, most of the anbus sold their loyalty to Madara and started working under him. They are the only remaining ninjas in the present world along with the medical ninjas, who have been allowed to stay as shinobis just so they can handle the war survivors and the population of the normal civilian in Konoha.

But what hurts Sakura the most is the fact that Sasuke of all people, returned to fight along their side and then all of a sudden, agreed to join Madara in his madness. If only she could have properly confronted him when she had the chance then maybe..maybe..no... It's not that she didn't speak with him when she had the opportunity. Infact, she was blessed with many opportunities. It's just that she didn't have enough strength to do it. Even after all those years of nerve-wrecking training with a sannin, she is still nothing more than a pathetic, crying, weakling. She is the real reason behind this present excruciating condition of the world of shinobi. Nobody ever mentioned it outright to her but she knows that, behind her oblivious back they all kept whispering about it amongst each-other. Thank goodness they are generous enough to not hurt her already bruised self. She will always keep in mind to return the favour to all of them for their kindness, even though it is fake...

A sharp stinging sensation on her left cheek pulled her out of her train of thoughts and she stared at the now heavily breathing Ino, eyeing her with genuine concern. So, she was slapped by her blonde bestie in order to pull her back into reality.

"Finally, you really are looking at me. For a moment I thought..." The blonde girl trailed-off with worry.

"I'm sorry, i-i-i-it's just...I have bore-with their words for so long that even the slightest fraction of it breaks my composure..." The pinkette ran her hands through her hair, pulling at the ends to calm herself down, "Ino I won't be able to tolerate it anymore. The way everyone expects me to do something for this village. I..." She bit on her lower lip, trying to prevent the tears from flowing down her cheeks.

"Hey..I've already told you", Ino began, pulling Sakura into a warm sisterly hug, "No one's blaming you. It's not your fault.."

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After stroking and soothing her eighteen-year old childhood best friend for about twenty-five minutes, the medic's skin eased. Her senses were calmed down and she was now breathing softly into the crook of Ino's neck. Ino decided it was time to speak to the girl about the plans of the day and she moved her lips to begin.

"Sakura...you are supposed to meet Hinata today. Remember, you promised us that you will speak to her the next month?" Ino asked.

Sakura's body stiffened immediately at the mention of the pale-eyed Hyuga girl. It has been five months since their defeat in the fourth shinobi war and she has still not spoken to Hinata. She is afraid that her meeting with the Hyuga heiress will escalate the guilt she felt to ten more folds. And she can barely handle all that she is receiving from the people around her. Everyone keeps assuring her, telling her that Hinata doesn't blame her for anything that had transpired in the war but then Naruto...it was her fault..she could have...

"Sakura, you have to see her. You can't hide from her forever. It's been five months and..." Ino shook her head.

"I understand.." The emerald-eyed girl spoke softly, "It's just not easy for me...but nonetheless I will speak to her if...this is what will make you guys happy..."

Ino's eyes beamed at her friend's words and she instantly pulled Sakura out of the store along with her. She told her mother to take care of the shop while she's gone and so, both the girls began their journey towards the Hyuga compounds. But it wasn't long before someone interrupted them again.

"Wait" the voice called.

Both the girls stopped in their track and turned around to be met by another one of their comrades. All clad in black, normal civilian clothes, stood a guy with a notebook and a brush in his hand. He smiled at the girls, trying his best to make it look natural as he waved at the two.

"Sai-kun!" Ino called cheerful, waving back at him.

He approached them and greeted, "Hello Beautiful and.." he glanced at the other girl, recognising her henge a few seconds after staring at her form and continued, "..and hello Ugly."

Ino giggled at the man's silly nicknames and playfully poked a finger in his chest. He looked surprised for the blink of a second but then he was back to his usual emotionless self, wondering whether he should've been surprised by the blonde beauty's act or simply remained nonchalant. He was still confused so he decided to stick with being unaffected. Though his thoughts told him that her action did amuse him.

"What do you need Sai?" Sakura asked tiredly.

Both the youngsters broke the eye-contact that they had been lost in without even realising that they were staring at each-other. If it wasn't for their pink-haired accompanist then who knows how long they would've stood just like that. Sai rubbed his nape awkwardly while Ino fidgeted with her purple top that she was wearing over a pair of white shorts.

Sakura noticed the awkward moment between the two and smiled at the two.

"Well?" She asked Sai again.

"Yeah..I was asked to bring you girls along." Sai paused, looked around a bit then moved closer to whisper to the girls, "..he has organised another meeting today and he requests everyone's presence."

The girls nodded in understanding and the trio started walking towards their secret meeting spot but then, Ino stopped suddenly. She nudged Sakura and spoke, "You have to meet Hinata."

"I can do that later." Sakura said, relieved that she can still have a few hours to shell-away from the dusky-blue haired girl.

But Ino did not agree, "No. Go talk to her and meet us later on."

"But-"

Ino stopped her with a wave of her hand and hissed, "No ifs and buts. You are speaking to her right now."

Sakura sighed, knowing that delaying this awaited meeting any longer will only add to her guilt so she agreed to Ino with a nod of her head. She turned in the opposite direction and started walking on the path that led to the Hyuga compound. With a sigh of contentment Ino linked her palm with Sai's and pulled him along towards their destination. He blinked his eyes but then smiled at her and the duo walked away. Sakura, having seen the sweet exchange between her two friends smiled sadly. If only the world wasn't being ruled by a tyrannical leader, then Ino and Sai wouldn't have to worry about being serious all the time and they could've actually been in a very promising relationship. She sighed and continued her walk down the path.

* * *

The Hyuga Compounds. Sakura stared at the once regal clan's residence with sorrowful eyes. This compound was newly-built and was comparatively smaller than the previous humongous one. The original one was destroyed during the war when Madara breeched the gates of this village, causing a long, tedious battle to breakout inside with a majority of ninjas trying to move the civilians to safer zones, Sakura being one of them.

But now was not the time to dwell on such a shattering past. She inhaled a long, deep breath and knocked meekly on the door to the main family's home. She can do this. She cheered-up her own chickening self. When she heard footsteps getting closer to the door, she squared her shoulders. Yes, she can do this.

The door clicked open and she was greeted by one Neji Hyuga, the last person she had expected there. He glanced at her and nodded his head.

"Are you here to meet Hinata-hime?" He asked, having been well-familiar with her disguise.

She took in large gulps of air and nodded opened the door wider to let her in and closed it behind them. She dropped her henge once inside.

Placing a hand gently on her shoulder, he spoke, "Sakura, I need to go to the meeting organised for the FoK. I wish I could stay and help you out with this but I can't and you know it. So please allow me to leave."

Words still failed to roll-off her tongue so she nodded again.

"And I have a request." He paused for effect, "I want you to bring Hinata-hime along with you at our meeting spot. He has asked for her presence as well." Neji explained.

She gave a quick, affirmative nod and allowed him to take his leave. To her dismay, Neji was gone in an instant. He didn't even stay for a second to offer any support. She sighed and looked around when her eyes landed on a young girl, entering the house through the same door that Neji had used as an exit. It was Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister. She was probably 14 now as her young body had started developing the major feminine curves. She smiled politely at Sakura then bowed her head.

"Neji-niisan told me to take you to Hinata-neechan's room." She explained Sakura about her sudden entry.

Again, Sakura could only nod due to her mentally shaken state. But it worked for Hanabi as she guided the medic to her elder sister's room without uttering any more words.

They stopped before a door, similar to many others inside the whole house and Hanabi left Sakura there. She promised to return in a few minutes but asked Sakura to meet Hinata as she had placed a steaming kettle on the gas-stove of the kitchen. That said, she left the pinkette alone at the door.

Sakura brought her hand-up to knock the door but it started quivering and she pulled it down. What if Hinata blames her for what happened to Naruto? What will she do? How will she explain about the incident to her? How? Now her complete body started quivering. She was way too afraid to enter. Maybe she can face the Hyuga princess some other day? Yes, she will just have to walk out of this house as quietly as possible in her medic boots and before anyone knows, she'll be gone.

Immediately, a mental imagery of Hinata weeping before her flashed before her vision. It urged her to think-over her plan of action. What if Hinata is not angry but sad about Naruto? What if she just needs someone as close as Sakura was to Naruto to stay with her? What if she is waiting for someone to soothe her aching heart in times such as these just like Sakura needs Ino? She can't leave. She realised just how stupid and selfish she was being. If Hinata hates her then she has every right to feel this way towards her. It will be better to speak with her and explain everything instead of scurrying away like a scaredy-cat. Yes, Sakura won't back down this time. This time she will talk it out. With that strong-determined thought, Sakura knocked the door that lead to Hinata's room and waited.

The door opened a few seconds later and out peeked the pale irises of the Hyuga heiress. She was shocked at who she saw at her door and opened it for the pink-haired girl to enter.

"It's been a while Sakura-san." Hinata greeted.

"Ye-yesss" Sakura agreed, "it's really been a while..."

And that were the only few words spoken between the two before the room went into a pregnant silence. Both the women knew that if they don't choose their words wisely then something that will lead to regret will undoubtedly occur. Thus, they decided to rather stare at their knees while sitting on the cushions surrounding the small table inside the room. As promised, Hanabi entered the room a few minutes later with a tray full of tea cups, a kettle and a plate of cookies. She cautiously placed the tray on the top of the table and started serving the two older females. That done, she picked-up the now empty tray and left the room, shutting it with her leg.

The room fell quiet again and only the feeble sound of sipping tea could be heard. Sakura remembered what Ino had told her about Hinata's condition. According to Ino's words, Hinata has not spoken much to anyone ever since the war ended and that her mental condition is very delicate. So she must be spoken to, very carefully. Okay, now she is here at the Hyuga Compound, inside Hinata's room. But what exactly should she speak to begin this long awaited conversation?

For half an hour they sat like that, without any sort of communication. And then, all of a sudden, Sakura couldn't contain her emotions anymore and she blurted out what had been gnawing at her skin for five months now.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered.

That startled the young heiress and she snapped her head up to look into the tired emeralds of the speaker. But a second later, her shock was replaced by fear and worry.

"No!" The pale-eyed girl retorted, "It's not your fault. He wouldn't be pleased to see you like this. Afterall...Na-na-naru-he loved you..."

Sakura noted the numerous times that Hinata faltered while trying to take her teammate's name. It's the same for her. Even she can't bring herself to utter the name of the only man that she has ever loved. It's almost..impossible to say Sas_ she's still unable to say it...

Wait did Hinata just say love? No, it's a hundred percent false predicament. Her teammates had always been caring for her but they never loved her. Her teammates are more like a family that she will never have.

"Naruto..didn't love me, Hinata," Sakura spoke, "I didn't love him and still don't. It's merely a bond shared between two siblings...Me and Naruto were more like brother and sister..."

"It's okay..." Hinata assured her.

"It's not okay!" Sakura raised her shaky voice. Yes, the dam that she has struggled so hard to build is going to crack and break any moment now.

She exhaled noisily and continued, "It's not okay when he finally found someone who actually loved him for who he was..."

Hinata shook her head slowly, "H_he didn't-"

The pinkette stopped the girl before she could even roll those words out with her tongue, "Naruto didn't love you, I know Hinata. But he was beginning to..I saw it in his eyes..."

The dark haired girl was shocked for a second time now. She kept staring at Sakura and the medic nodded her head for emphasis. Sadly, Hinata realised that her feelings don't matter anymore. She felt that Sakura's explanations don't mean anything anymore...

"Stop worrying yourself, Sakura-san," she spoke, looking at the empty tea cups on the table, "We can't do anything about it. Now that he..."

Sakura noticed the pause in Hinata's words, unsure of whether it was because she was distracted by the tea-cups that she was picking-up or because she was finding it hard to speak. She herself stood-up to help the blackish-blue haired girl.

"...he.." Hinata tried to continue, her hands shaking strongly, "he...he..he's..gone..."

Sakura's eyes widened when the teacups fell from Hinata's shaking hands and she ordered her legs to move towards the other girl to help but found that they could barely move. It was then that she noted that Hinata wasn't the only one shaking but she too was in the same state. A tear slowly slid-down her cheek and she stumbled towards the other girl who had also started sobbing. She collected a few pieces of the broken cups, making the Hyuga girl look-up at her. Sakura saw the teary eyes of the girl and realised something that had been hidden from her sight for so long.

She and Hinata had absolutely nothing in common. Not their features, not their likes and dislikes, not even their fighting style...No, there was not even a tiny bit of similarity between the two yet right now, they seemed like mirroring reflections of each-other for they both were shedding tears. Tears...because of their failed attempts at trying to save the man they loved...

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 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter of A Chance at Redemption. Please leave a review about what you think...:)**

 **5 Reviews = An update!  
** **~Manika**


	2. -:Her Fallen Soul:-

**Posted on: 30/12/16**

 **A/N: So here's the second chapter of ACaR. Hope you guys will enjoy! Please Review to let me know what you think...:)**

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 ** _"By every passing second,  
I'm drowning more into the dark...  
Is this how it feels to be alone?  
Is this how it feels to hate?"  
-Sakura Haruno_**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Her Fallen Soul**

* * *

An hour had elapsed in the moments that the two girls spent in shedding tears over their broken self. Neither one spoke but silently wiped their tear-streaked cheeks. Sighs and moans of deep sadness were the only sounds that they could use to communicate. Naruto was gone...and so was Sasuke... The reality is so easy to understand yet the girls can't find it in their hearts to give-up. Few more tears traced their path down the young women's cheeks.

The door to the room creaked-open and in came the 14-year old younger sibling of the Hyuga heiress. It looked as if she was about to speak but stopped when her pale-white irises landed on the lovelorn condition of the older girls. Fortunately, the awkward quiet of the room did not last long as the kunoichi with emerald orbs glanced at the young teen and shakily stood-up. Her mental stature was not completely healed but physically, she was ready for whatever the younger girl had to say.

"Sakura...um..you and nee-san-"

Hanabi began but was interrupted by the pink haired female.

"What is it, Hanabi?" She asked.

"Um..are you two fine?" Hanabi asked hesitantly.

Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"What is it?" She asked the young girl again.

"Erm..there is a message...from Neji-niisan." Hanabi was hesitant but continued, "He says both of you are to report at the HQ right now."

Sakura nodded at the news and turned her head slightly to take a glance at the midnight-black haired Hyuga princess. She was still sobbing, unable to contain her emotions. Slowly, she tilted her head up so that her pale white irises met the gaze of the equally gloomy emerald ones. Hinata didnot speak but her eyes were more than enough to convey the message to the medic.

Sakura nodded and started walking out of the room.

"I'll catch you guys later." She said.

"But" Hanabi began as she glanced back and forth between Sakura and her older sister, "Both you and Nee-chan must go. He has ordered for this."

Hinata's sobbing came to a halt and she looked at Sakura's back, awaiting her response to her younger sister. She wanted to do this. She knew it was necessary for her to join this meeting of the FoK but..she found it difficult to control her emotions. After all, shinobi must not show any signs of emotions as emotions are a weakness and can even lead to death. But still, in her heart, she wished that Sakura would say something convincing to her sister and let her be.

And that is exactly what happened when Sakura spoke.

"No, I don't think it's the right time for Hinata to meet-up with the others." She retorted.

"But he said-"

Sakura didnot pay any heed to Hanabi's words and left the compound after putting her henge back on her form.

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.

.

Exiting the Hyuga Compounds, she began her walk towards the more secluded regions of the village. Many citizens passed by her, some recognising her as the hospital medic Ms. Minamoto while others just brushing past her. She even heard some of them whispering about their sufferings amongst each other. But amidst all this chatter, her ears caught on a particular sentence.

"You know...I heard that someone saw her." A woman whispered to her husband.

"Who?" The man asked casually.

The lady looked around and then whispered quickly, "Sakura Haruno, the last member of team 7. She was seen at the Yamanaka Flower Shop.."

The man was surprised, "..but I thought she disappeared after the war?"

Sakura did not wait to hear anymore of their gossip and increased her pace. This is what she hated the most. When she worked hard and did her best, no one even cared to take a glance. And now, when everything has been shattered, people are taking her name like a goddess. Like she holds the solutions to all their problems. Like she can actually end all of this misery.

She took a long breath to ease the tension in her mind.

On reaching her destination, she lowered the level of her chakra and hid behind the foliage of bushes. It were the special grounds owned by the Nara Clan. The leader of their rebel group decided to set this place as their HQ for all the important meetings as it was secluded and was only monitored by two Anbus. And lazy as Shikamaru is, he agreed and permitted the members of FoK to enter these special premises that must only be used by the Nara clansmen. The place was very quiet and soothing, she thought. But this is not the right time for her to relax and recline, so she did what she was supposed to do. She watched the guards taking rounds after a break of every two minutes.

After a duration of five hours, all of these coward sycophants of Madara, switch their guarding stations in a short time of about four minutes. It is these four minutes that she'll utilise to enter their HQ.

There were still some minutes left before the next change of stations, thus, Sakura waited patiently for the right time to make her entry into the HQ.

.

.

Soon the guards moved out to switch their position with the guards of the nearest neighbouring station. She wasted no moment and jumped out of the bush she had been hiding behind. From their she jogged towards a bush to her left and on reaching it, she made a round from the tree next to that bush. Lastly, she counted the ten steps of her feet to another bush towards her right and turned her head to the side to check if anyone had seen her or not. Having been sure of no presence of any chakra signatures, she jumped into the hole that was concealed beneath the bush by a genjutsu.

Her body slid down and she did a front roll to keep herself in balance, thus landing in a crouched position before a wall of rocks. Sakura scanned the wall and found a small door camouflaged within the wall. She gave three quick knocks to it and waited. The knocking was used as a password to check whether the person is a trusted member of FoK or one of Madara's underlings. It was suggested by Shikamaru himself for the safety of his clan's special grounds and this underground safe-house.

The door cracked open and out peeked a youngman with dark shades that made him look mysterious.

"Hey..Shino" Sakura greeted awkwardly.

He ignored her palm waving at him and asked, "Where's Hinata?"

Sakura's eyes rolled down towards her feet recalling the mentioned girl's tears of pain. She shook her head and answered, "She didn't want to come."

The bug-lover was quiet for a split second but then he pulled the door wide enough for her to enter.

She walked in and dropped her henge.

The place was not much furnished. There were only a few chairs, stools and cushions to sit on and discuss their plans and priorities. Plus, the whole area was dimly lit by torches placed in the hooks at the corners of the wall. She looked around all the familiar faces present their and moved to sit down next to her childhood friend with blonde hair. Ino gave her a small smile but felt confused about the absence of Hinata.

"Alright, I presume that no one else is gonna join us?" A manly voice asked from the shadows.

Everyone turned their heads towards the centre of the room and nodded their heads to the silhouetted figure of their leader.

"So let's begin this meeting with the recitation of our motto." The man said.

A girl came out from behind the silhouetted man and stood before the small group. She had the normal height of a nineteen year old girl and lovely short, pale-yellow tresses. The most striking thing about her wasn't her ample bosom but her unusually tough behaviour for a girl. She placed a hand on her hip and counted the number of members present in the room. Sakura recognised her as Samui from the village hidden in the clouds.

Giving a small disappointed look to Sakura, Samui began with the motto of the FoK, "We, the members of Fire of Konoha.."

"We, the members of the Fire of Konoha." Everyone repeated after her.

Samui continued, "...are the flames that unite and make this fire blaze. We are the Fire of Konoha."

"...are the flames that unite and make this fire blaze. We are the Fire of Konoha!" Everyone finished.

As the recital of the motto ended, everyone quieted down and waited for the commencement of the important discussions.

FoK, this is the rebel group that Sakura was asked to join by her friends. Surprisingly, the idea of this group was suggested by Shino Aburame to Sai, who agreed and asked a few of his willing acquaintances to join(Sakura being one of them). Soon after two months of Madara's victory, a small, stable group of a few members was formed. This group consists of the deadly trio Ino-Shika-Cho, the sensory specialists: Kiba, Shino and Hinata and even the students of the Beast of Konoha, namely Lee, Neji and Tenten joined in. Sometimes later, a few shinobi from the other nations joined in to help for a greater cause.

The credit for the recruitment of members from other villages goes to Sai, who is currently acting as a double-agent and trying his best to gain more and more intel on the Uchiha's activities. It is because of his exceptional skills as a former Root Member that he was approved to enter the anbu black ops without any questioning from the government.

"Okay", began their conspicuous leader, "before we get down to business, where's Hyuga?"

"Right here", answered Neji and stood-up.

"Not you", the leader said, "I meant your sister."

All the heads present in the room turned to face the silent pink-haired kunoichi of their team. Their questioning glances made the girl feel more uncomfortable than she already was. It's not like it was her duty to bring the Hyuga Princess along because Ino had merely asked her to pay a visit. But looks like Neji had told about his little request to every member of the FoK.

"Why didn't you bring her with you?!" Samui yelled.

Sakura shook. She averted her gaze away from the blonde woman and stared into space. It is happening all over again. First those ladies at the Yamanaka Flower Shop, then those murmuring civilians and now even the members of her own rebel group. Her very own friends. No one ever bothered with her abilities in the past but now all of a sudden, everyone expects so much from her. And this too, all because of the fact that she is a member of the team 7. She is not in the state to handle this. If she hears anymore of this, then-

"So much for the last remaining member of the incredible Team 7." scoffed Samui.

"Enough!" Ino shouted at the cloud kunoichi and pounced at her.

Samui fought back, "Hey! Back-off! You leaf bitch!"

"Leaf Bitch? Stop offending the lovely breeds of dogs in our village!" Kiba yelled and jumped in.

Everyone eyed the three adult ninjas who were busy bickering like four-year olds. Shino stared at them silently, wondering if he must jump in to help Kiba whilst Chouji kept on munching down his chips. Shikamaru shook his head in disbelief. Too troublesome for a rebellious team.

"Quiet down you three. If somebody happens to hear you then our rebellion will be dead even before it actually begins."

The three shut their mouths and immediately stood up. It was their very own leader who had intervened. He finally came out of the shadows concealing his dark, tanned skin. Passing a hand through his off-white hair, he sighed after pulling out a lollipop from his mouth. Seriously, mutual cooperation is the most important part of this rebellion and these guys don't even know the C of this Cooperation. How is he going to handle these everyday quarrels? But most importantly, why did he even accept to be the leader?

"Stop being so childish." He ordered.

"But Darui, she-"

Darui cut Samui off, "She was not assigned on a mission to bring the Hyuga's sister. Hyuga was supposed to do it on his own and yet he imposed his work on her."

"Correct", Shikamaru piped-in, "And also, Sakura is not the only remaining member of Team 7. We still have Kakashi sensei."

At the mention of the silver-haired jounin, everyone turned pale, recalling their own team mentors. Sadly, they can't be of any help just like Kakashi as Asuma had died in the fight against Kakuzu and Hidan while Kurenai is due to deliver her baby any of these coming weeks. And to everyone's dismay, Guy sensei is not yet found.

"Kakashi Hatake is still in a state of coma. So he's not even a part of the team." Samui spoke curtly.

"Whatever! It's not Sakura's fault that Hinata didn't come." Ino defended her friend.

"Oh yeah? Then why not just let your pink-haired bitch explain this whole deal!" Samui demanded.

Everyone turned towards Sakura, who was shaking her head as if lost in a traumatic past. Ino quickly went over to her and hugged the girl, trying to soothe her terrified friend. As if the village civilians are not enough with their accusations. Now this cloud village girl has too started blaming Sakura. And who knows, soon enough the other members of this crew will do the same. Why can't they settle with the fact that none of it is Sakura's fault?! Why is it so hard for them?

Before Ino could speak-up for her friend, Shikamaru did, "Let her be...okay. Even I could not bring Temari to the meeting."

If anything, Ino hugged Sakura even tighter on hearing the name of their friend from sand. Temari's condition is very much similar to that of her pink-haired best friend. After the war ended, she lost both of her beloved brothers. Gaara's body disappeared along with the other kages while Kankuro was captured and who knows what was done to him later on. Ino felt bad for the girl but was quite irritated with the fact that both Hinata and Temari are allowed to skip meetings like these when actually Sakura needs this the most. Are they biasing their behaviour with her? If yes, then why?

"Since you failed to bring your sister, our mission to Kumogakure will be delayed." Darui cut in and looked seriously at Neji, "Also, next time try doing your works on your own instead of dumping them off for others to do."

Neji sighed and turned towards a weeping Sakura, "Forgive me."

She bade no response to the Hyuga prodigy and continued with her silent sobbing. It's always like this with her. People hurt her and then ask for forgiveness. It's like they're trying to sympathise with her but are actually pitying her. But it isn't their fault that she is so pathetic. After all, throughout her life she has done nothing but stand behind other's backs, waiting for them to finish-off the real challenging matters while what she did was patching-up a few scrapes and abrasions post-mission. She is, she was and will always be a weak, useless, cry baby of the group. If only she is given a chance to do something worthwhile for the sake of mankind, she will willingly put her life on the line.

"Okay, lets focus on the matter at hand." Darui clapped his hands to grasp everyone's attention.

The tension between the members eased only slightly but Darui was thankful that atleast his position as a leader can maintain peace amongst the members of this group.

This tension isn't caused because of any sort of differences that they share but because of the tyrannical leader of the five shinobi nations. Madara's rule has affected everyone in some way or the other. The villagers are suffering with the loss of occupations as most of them used to be ninjas. The less amount of everyday necessities required for a normal living have also added to their condition. On the contrary, people like him and the members of FoK are frustrated at the loss of their dear ones and at their inability to save them. No one was spared after the victory of the Uchihas. All the prominent clans were only spared on the condition that they won't attempt any kind of mutiny against the Uchiha members. But exceptional cases are everywhere and in this current situation, it were the Hyugas that were paying. The Hyuga Clan is the only remaining clan that can actually pose as a threat to the Uchihas after the elimination of the few left members of the Senju and Uzumaki clan.

Darui feels somewhat lucky to be born in a normal family without any special bloodline. It saved him from the situation that the Hyugas are facing at present. As a member of the Anbu, Sai was told about a classified mission that will be put into during the night of this coming week- The annihilation of the Hyuga Clan. All the Anbus are supposed to eliminate each and every member of the Hyuga Clan, be it a child or not.

Two days of this week have already passed which means that they only have five days to plan on how to tackle this annihilation. Sai has already tried speaking with his anbu captain but to no avail. And it is completely impossible to transfer more than 600 members of a clan to a secret hideout without being noticed by the Uchiha government. This leaves them with only two ways to deal with the matter, one: a battle on the spur of the moment with all the anbus or two: a cleverly executed ambush of all the anbus. This will not only save a clan from extinction but will also decrease Madara's man-power.

There was also this third way which included an attack on the village by their allies from the sand and cloud village. But for that, Hinata Hyuga is supposed to guide the group using her ocular capabilities.  
Their original course of action was to send Hinata with Sai to rendezvous with their members of FoK present in Sand and Cloud Village and begin their Coup d'état at night. The Hyuga girl would've easily guided them to the village without being noticed by Madara's men patrolling the village at night. With Hinata leading the FoKs from the outside while Darui and Neji attacking from the inside would've been an excellent strategy to tackle and defeat the Anbu Division and thus, save the Hyugas from their elimination from the face of this world.

Unfortunately, Hinata did not show up and most likely will not be coming out of her rat hole any time soon. So now, they are left with nothing but their rash secondary plans which Shikamaru thinks won't even stand a chance.

"Hinata won't be coming out. So, what do we do? Any suggestions?" Darui asked his crew.

"Shikamaru can use that big brain of his to plan a flawless ambush." Tenten suggested instantly.

"I agree with Tenten-san! It is much better than blindly attacking them head-on." Lee who had been shockingly quiet for such a long time spoke up.

"No!" Neji retorted, "Our night coup d'état can still work. I'll go rendezvous with the members from other villages in place of Hinata-hime."

"That would be quite reckless." Shikamaru disapproved.

"True. Even if you manage to complete the task from the outside, we won't be able to do the same. With you gone and attacking from outside, our forces on the inside will weaken." Darui explained, patting Shikamaru's back in agreement.

"Then what should we do!" Tenten yelled.

For the past few weeks, Tenten has been trying to have a good spar with Neji but he keeps blatantly refusing. She is trying her best to distract him from the problems that he is currently facing because of his clan's condition. It really irks her to see a stressed out Neji Hyuga. She wants to help him out of it in some way but she can't. When she heard about their midnight Coup d'état, she was relieved that at least now Neji wouldn't feel bad because they won't back down without an actual fight. But no, something had to happen and spoil their chance. Hinata didn't come and who is to blame?

"How hard can it be to bring a girl with you?" Tenten questioned Sakura.

"I was asking the same thing." Samui added.

"What's wrong with you guys? Can't you leave her alone?" Ino screeched.

Sakura has been tolerating these false accusations for so long without any complaints and it is unbearable for Ino to see her childhood best friend suffering without even fighting back. It is about time they leave her alone and let her be because none of this is her fault. Why make someone the culprit without even reproaching their own selves? This negative behaviour towards the pinkette will only lead to the spreading of wrong views for her best friend.

"There are more than 600 Hyugas living in the new compound. Can't someone replace Hinata?" Ino questioned everyone present in the room.

"You know it, Ino." Shikamaru spoke, trying to remind her and everyone else, "We have not informed even a single soul about our Rebel group. If we do, then unlike supporting us for our struggle, they will oppose us. They won't see the bright side of our hard work. Instead, they will only see more problems for their family and friends. And amidst all this panic, some of Madara's minions will hear out about us. So, in the end our small group will be wiped-out because of our own dear ones. Therefore, we cannot and must not inform about our group even to our family, friends and clansmen for their own sake."

There was a pregnant moment inside the base as everyone went back on thinking about their own actions. It is true that they have all been frustrated and so, are trying to impose their mistakes on others and particularly on Sakura. It is also true that talking about these matters to their own family and clansmen will not provide any support but will lead to more chaotic situations. It is best for all of them to take a deep breath, sit down and work on a new plan with a fresh mind.

"Okay, since none of us are in our right minds, I postpone this meeting. It'll be held two days later from today." Darui announced.

"...in the mean time, think of a good plan to tackle this annihilation of the Hyugas." He added a second later.

"..A-A-And..."

A crooked, broken sort of voice stuttered. To everyone's surprise, it was Sakura who had spoken. She pulled herself away from Ino's consoling arms and shakily stood-up to face the lollipop-loving leader of their group. Chouji, who had been quietly munching on his potato-chips all throughout the discussion, continued chewing but this time even faster than before. He could see a flicker of determination in the medical kunoichi's emerald irises and that made him a bit nervous. A wailing soul can only tolerate for so long. He knows that hearing all those hateful remarks from the members of FoK must be really painful. And this is exactly why she has decided to stand-up against the insult and protect her pride.

"I will...during the next meeting you'll see Hinata Hyuga right before your eyes." She promised not to anyone but herself.

"Relax Sakura, you don't need to do this. It's not your fault." Shikamaru protested.

Here it comes. The fake consolation that people give her after every argument and after imposing every blame on her is making her sick. It's gnawing at her skin like an eagle's claws. She is not going to accept any of these indirect apologies anymore. It is about time she stops weeping like a pathetic lamb and starts working on her flaws to prove herself.

"It's okay...I will bring her.." She said and made a beeline for the exit.

Opening the door to their underground HQ, she looked around for the concealed stone, stairway to walk-out of the place. A feeling of nausea had began crawling at her neck. If she doesn't gets out now then sure as hell, she will end-up vomiting out the orange juice that she had taken for her breakfast early in the morning. People from inside kept calling her but she paid them no heed. Ino and Sai even came out to get her back in to the room but she refused and started climbing-up the steep stairs to escape the clutches of their sympathy. She doesn't want it. All she needs is their approval of her as a valuable asset to the FoK and she will do her best to gain their recognition.

* * *

Taking another long sip from his pack, the white-haired man walked-out of the public hospital that he had been searching through for the sake of his leader. He snickered distastefully at having considered that dark-haired guy of his age-group as his leader. No one can boss him around, not even the merciless Hokage of this village. To be honest, he was the least bit of concerned about what the Hokage might do to him on his failure at accomplishing his current search-mission. He is more worried about how a certain younger version of the Hokage will take this same failure. Will he be angry or simply disappointed like any other normal 18-year old guy? But wait, considering the temperament of the man in question, nobody can guess what his reaction will be at hearing this piece of news.

"Did you find anything?" A strong voice pulled the white-haired man out of his troubling thoughts and his violet irises gazed up at the taller man.

"Nope. No signs of her. It's like she never even existed." He told his fiery-haired buddy.

"But I saw her during the war. She was there. She even had that weird shade of pink hair that everyone keeps murmuring about." The tall guy explained.

"Murmuring? You heard someone murmuring about her?" The white-haired guy asked in shock.

The man with orange shade of spiky hair shook his head, "Suigetsu, it's not important. Plain murmuring will not help us in our search."

The lean guy named Suigetsu looked disbelievingly at his pal.

"You saw someone murmuring about her and let the person go?!" He asked.

The taller guy only shrugged in response.

"Juugo, I can't believe you let them go! If they were murmuring then they surely know something about her." Suigetsu explained.

He then took a quick sip of water from his small pack and turned around.

"Let's go and talk to the civilians. Who knows maybe we'll get to hear some of that murmuring that you mentioned about." He said and started walking down the lane.

Juugo sighed and followed his lean partner on the street. It has been six hours and two days since the beginning of their search for a pink-haired, 18-year old kunoichi. The request for this search was made by none other than their dark, angsty leader. Madara too was interested in this certain pink-haired girl. Why she matters so much, none if them knows. But for some reason as soon as she is found, she is required to be taken to the Hokage Tower.

For this same reason, they began their search from a few houses in different streets. Juugo had also heard about her being an apprentice of the fifth Hokage, who was a specialist in medical field. It is said that the girl herself was very skilled in medical ninjutsu and so they decided to check for her identity in the Konoha Medical Hospital. But the doctors present there told them that she hasn't been spotted anywhere around since the ending of the war. If she went missing right after the war then either she is dead or she is smart enough to obscure her distinctive identity from the eyes of the commoners and the Uchiha government. Still, he trusts his ears enough to accept the fact that some village citizens were really murmuring about having seen a pink-haired girl. They also mentioned something about a quarrel amongst some old ladies and a blonde, flower-seller. He is not sure if these rumours are true or false but he is damn sure that their search is not going to end anytime soon...

* * *

 _ **A/N: So, what do you think?**_

 _ **Did you like the FoK?**_

 _ **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**_

 _ **Leave a review, eh? :D**_

 **~Manika**


	3. -:Emotionally Dissonant:-

**Posted on:01/01/17**

 **A/N: I'm glad that many people have either followed or favourited this story. I'm really happy but I'll be more happy if you guys atleast give me a review of what you think about this story. All writers need some feedback on their work...:)**

 **Other than that, I received a few Guest reviews and I'm very happy :)  
Sadly, I can't respond to them. Still...thank you guys. You know who you are :D  
And Lilianne, thank you for reading :D**

 **Without any further ado, here's the 3rd chapter of ACaR, updated specially on the 1st of January, 2017 ;)**

* * *

 ** _"I am alone,  
she is too.  
I am merely sad  
but she is broken..."  
-Temari_**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Emotionally Dissonant**

* * *

"You couldn't find her?!"

Came an angry shout out towards a silent Juugo and a casually yawning Suigetsu. The voice itself would've been more than enough to make anyone flinch in fright. Anyone but these former missing nins who were well-acquainted with the guy's anger. They remained quiet and awaited their leader's next wave of verbal jabs. Ever since their return from their search mission, they've been hearing his anger-infused colourful words. And that too, all because they failed to find the object of their boss's interest.

It's not their fault that the girl is practically non-existent for if she were real then they would've at least got some hints about her presence. They looked around in every damn street in the village for three days but found no traces of pink hair or emerald irises as their leader had described her to be. They also asked the village locals about the rumour of a quarrel at the Yamanaka Flower Shop but no one could help them in getting any leads about the aforementioned girl. Still, just for the sake of their fondness for their leader, they went as far as to look for her around the neighbouring villages yet unfortunately, found nothing.

"Ne...why is she so important anyway?" asked a mildly amused Suigetsu.

Juugo gave him a warning glance but immediately backed-away when he saw the twitch in his master's eye. Suigetsu who had been standing inside a well-renovated house of the Uchiha Clan's leader was thrown-out merely by the sheer force of their leader's harsh thrust. He landed outside the main house, right on the streets of the newly-built Uchiha Compound. Their leader flashed his crimson irises down at the violet-eyed man, who had now turned into a puddle of water.

"Find her", was all that the blazing red-orbed man ordered to the liquefied guy.

With a signalling jerk of his head, he made Juugo leave the house and started walking to re-enter his newly-built home, leaving the puddle behind. However, just before he could take a step inside through the threshold, he heard a scoff coming from the white-haired man. He didn't turn but stopped to hear what the lean man had to say.

"Heh...know what, Sasuke? I don't give a fuck about this damned cherry blossom haired girl." Suigetsu spoke, slowly getting back on his feet.

He wiped the trail of blood that had formed below his lower lip because of the hard impact of his leader's solid punch and grinned.

"Look for her yourself because news flash: she doesn't exist!" He yelled.

"Sasuke don't listen to him. We'll find her. I promise you." Juugo spoke-up before Sasuke could land another punch at the former mist ninja's face and this time, an electrocuted one.

Sasuke's electrically charged fist deceased and he turned around to face his two former Taka members again. Angry would be an understatement, he was furious at Suigetsu's choice of words. How hard can it be to look for such a distinctively-featured girl? It's not like she disappeared into nothingness right after the war. He saw her during those gory battles between shinobi, each one of them trying to over-power the other. He also remembers how she had so rashly tried jumping into the last battle of the war- the match between him and the Kyuubi boy. Her screams of anger and sorrow were still fresh in his memories of that victory over his one and only best-friend. But if she was there at that time, alive and breathing then where did she go? She can't just vanish like that. He can't accept the fact of his old teammate's leave without a fight. She is alive. She is breathing. And she is also in the village. She is just way too clever for his subordinates to pull her out of her safe haven.

"Look for her amongst the prominent clans of the village." He ordered and then closed the door to his house.

As soon as he shut the door on them, Juugo nodded to himself and glanced at Suigetsu. Sasuke has a point. They are yet to search for this certain kunoichi around the different clans of the village. The thing is, they didn't search for her amongst the clans because it is a rule of the Uchihas to keep all of their important matters a secret until it is the right time to reveal them. But he had heard from someone that this pink-haired girl knew and used to stick with a lot of clansmen's children of her age-group. And undoubtedly, she can use this as an advantage to hide in their clan's special compounds. Giving this mission another try will not cause any harm to their health, so why not?

"Lets go" Juugo said, walking down the lane to exit the new Uchiha Compound.

Suigetsu brushed some dust off his clothes and followed his tall, fiery-haired partner.

"Fine. But if we still had Karin with us then finding this girl would have been much easier." He muttered in a low tone so that no one could hear.

* * *

Having made sure that her henge was in perfect form, Sakura walked-out of her hospital's office room and locked its door. She greeted every nurse and doctor on her way out of the building and informed the receptionist about her break. She was ready for this. Enough words have already been thrown at her face like pots and pans. It is high time for her to think rationally for a greater cause, for a bright future for the innocent citizens of this village. She needs to talk to Hinata not for the selfish need of proving herself but for the well-being of the Hyuga Clan as a whole. She will speak to her and convince her to help them with the proper execution of the FoK's plan.

* * *

Shikamaru was a dedicated pupil to his late mentor Asuma Sarutobi. From time to time, the incident of his young master's painful death would plague his thoughts. In such times, he gets out of his home and pays a visit to his sensei's grave. It helps him regain his sanity and clears his head for proper functioning of his smart brain. And this day happens to be another one of those days.

He had just returned from his late mentor's grave after spending a good two hours of dawn, doing nothing but gazing at the engravings on the stone. He sighed on getting a feeling of relief wash over him due to his visit.

"Good to see you're up on time for breakfast." His mother commented from near the stove inside the kitchen.

He walked over to her and spoke, "I'm up because I went to see Asuma sensei."

"We already know." muttered his dad from the living room.

He turned and walked in through the doors to the living room and sat across the dinner table. His father gave him a nod and then went back to reading his scrolls. He looked around, his eyes searching for a particular person's presence. She must be up by now. She always is. She has made quite an impression on his mother by waking up in the early hours of morning and helping out with the daily cleaning and cooking activities. Now that he is pondering about it, he recalled that he didnot see her in the kitchen with his mother like every other mornings. _Where is she?_ He thought.

"Looking for her?" His father teased, looking-up from his scroll.

"She's outside in the backyard." Her mother informed, kicking his father lightly on his back.

She put down the tray of fresh green tea and sat down next to his father, catching the way her son's eyes narrowed on hearing about the girl's whereabouts. She tried her best at concealing her amused grin and suggested, "Why don't you go talk to her?"

As if that was the exact push he had been waiting for, he bolted out of the house in the blink of an eye. His father shook his head while his mother grinned even more.

.

.

The jog towards his backyard was rushed and contemplative. If she is outside of the house all by herself instead of being inside and lending a hand to his mother, then probably because she is thinking about them again. _Shit!_ He doesn't want to see her in a condition similar to that of Sakura's. With that thought settled in his mind, he increased his pace and looked around in search of her on reaching his destined spot. She wasn't sitting on the comfortable bed of grass nor on the wooden logs near the small camp but atop a tree, trying to push herself away from everything and everyone.

"I didn't expect you to be here." He mumbled, more to himself.

The blonde woman in question looked down and replied, "Shikamaru"

Her tone held a simple greeting probably because she might have already sensed his chakra heading towards her. But she didn't care. Presently, her mind was busy grieving over some other past experiences. Her eyes lowered down and went blank as if she wasn't staring at anything in particular but was seeing something else through her mind's eye. She was so lost that she didn't even feel the presence of a shoulder touching her own. When she glanced at the warm presence by her side, she saw the pineapple-headed boy lighting a cigarette with his lighter right next to her on the same branch of the tree.

A sound of inhaling followed by a soft puffing was heard next. Apparently he had started smoking his cigarette. Three more puffs were heard before she lost her calm and nudged him on his waist.

"What?" He spoke, his gaze never leaving the slowly floating clouds in the clear blue sky.

"Stop smoking." She muttered.

"Stop sulking." He countered.

She sighed heavily and turned to face him, who was now resting lazily over the trunk. He quirked a brow at her and puffed-out smoke yet again. Instead of sharing their thoughts, they lingered about their sorrows a bit more.

It was the young genius of the Nara clan who decided to break the silence.

"You know Temari, sullen expressions don't suit you." He admitted.

"For the last time Shikamaru, I am not sad." She stated without any tremble in her voice.

"Okay..why are you sad?" He asked with a roll of his eyes.

She threw a twig at his head in frustration. How can he do this, she doesn't know but somehow this guy from leaf is the only person who has been able to read her thoughts so easily. Here she is trying to strengthen a wall around her emotions but he manages to crumble it with just a few curt words. She rubbed her teary, teal-coloured irises and opened her mouth to talk to him before he forces her to.

"Its my brothers...I miss them.." She mumbled weakly.

"Huh...you can't do anything about the people who are already gone." He confessed, recalling his own teacher.

With another puff of smoke, he continued, "If only we get any signs about their life then I swear we'll rescue them. Sai is the only person who can do such inside jobs. And trust me, he is actually trying to look for Gaara, Kankuro, Guy sensei and many more of our acquaintances."

When she didn't give any response, he spoke again, "Weeping won't do good to any of us. People are only mad at me for not being able to make you smile. I don't see how this is my fault but if this is how it is then I'm ready to do anything to please you."

She saw the determination in his eyes and even felt it in his voice. She gave a small smile and threw the cigarette stick in the air after plucking it out from his frowning lips. Knowing that he'll be around to cheer her up is more than enough to make her smile.

"You know, I can't believe the lazy Shikamaru Nara just said that." She teased.

He sighed, "Troublesome woman..."

* * *

It was already around five in the evening when the two guys stopped to take a short snack-break. They lifted the banners of a small noodle-selling shop that they have been going to for the past week to have quick refreshments during their search mission.

They sat down on the stools before the counter and ordered two pork ramens for themselves. One of them waited patiently for the arrival of his meal while the other took sips of water from his pack. They had worked their asses off in search of the kunoichi Sasuke has been desperate to see. For some reason, her mention is more than enough to rile the young avenger's emotions. They wondered what sort of history did the two share with each-other because from the looks of it, it wasn't just a simple teammate bond that existed between the two. Or who knows, _still exists_?...

"We still have to look around the Hyuga and the Nara Clan." Juugo reminded, just in case Suigetsu decides to call it a day.

"Yeah...yeah...lets have some ramen first." The shark-toothed man muttered.

"Here you go."

Like every other day of their time spent at this shop, two freshly prepared bowls of pork ramen were placed before them by a young girl of approximately their age. The brunette smiled at the two but it was clear for them to see that her smile was a complete fake one. She lowered her head and left the counter to prepare the other customers' orders.

They shrugged it off and dug into their bowls.

.

.

"Thank you for coming by."

The girl bowed at the two as they stood-up to take their leave.  
They stared awkwardly at her, wondering about why she was thanking them. Everyone in the village knows that they work directly under the Hokage and are no noble men but still, she gratified them for taking a meal at her shop. This is the first time that someone has thanked them and it nagged at the white-haired man's skin like a knife.

He couldn't stop himself but ask, "Thank you for what?"

The girl was surprised at the man's sudden question. She thought for a second, then averted her gaze away from him. Her expression was sad as she answered his query, "Because you are the first customers that we've had in a while. Before you it was a blonde, enthusiastic boy. He..was a hero.."

The facial expressions on their faces changed on hearing those words from the girl. They saw a ghost of a smile sneaking its way up to the girl's lips. They were well-aware about the guy that the girl was referring to and turned their gazes anywhere but her face. It was difficult to face her way when they clearly knew who was responsible for that enthusiastic, blonde's condition. It was that last battle during the war that ended the said hero's life. Nobody knows the details of that fight because no one was able to see. Only a few people were lucky enough to actually watch how it happened. To their dismay, even the one's who know about it never talk about it. Not even their raven-haired leader brags about his victory.

They turned around. It was better to leave then stay a little longer and hear more about that innocent boy's life at his favourite snack bar. Thus, they exited the shop and continued their search for the girl.

* * *

The clock struck seven, making Shikaku Nara realise that his son and their young female guest have been out in the backyard for half of the day. Both of them had briefly returned inside in the morning for a quick intake of breakfast and then left again. No doubt there's something brewing between his son and the young girl from the sand. He smirked recalling his own teenage years, only his were much better than this generation's. Atleast he was free to roam around without a care for the world as in his time, the village was still under the rule of amiable leaders. On the other hand, this generation is living a life governed by the most gruesome man the shinobi world has ever known. These teens can't go all shilly-shally seeing the present condition of the world.

His wife, Yoshino Nara entered their bedroom at that same instant. She saw the unsteady look in his eyes and felt it has something to do with their son. Women are more understanding when it comes to facial expressions and emotional breakdowns.

"What is it?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

He opened his mouth to explain the cause of his distress but was interrupted by the sudden incessant knocking at their door. They exchanged a confused glance and walked out towards the main door to answer the person at the other end. Who could be here to pay a visit at this time in the evening?

* * *

With the beginning of the sun's descent below the horizon, two pairs of eyes stared casually at the amber shade of the sky. Sunsets provide some sort of relief to people who are emotionally shaken. They help in soothing the dissonant state of people's minds.

The teal irises of the blonde girl glimmered in the last rays of the sun and glanced at the side to meet the gaze of the dark orbs owned by a lazy strategist. They both looked back to enjoy a few more moments of the peaceful silence.

"You know, now I realise why you waste your time staring at the sky." Temari commented and grinned at him.

Seeing her cheerful grin back on her face made the pineapple-head smile back at her. Finally, she is out of her sullen thoughts. He would never admit it in words but he was extremely delighted at that.

"We can stay here all night if you want." He suggested lazily.

As if on cue, they heard murmurs of a conversation amongst his parents and some unknown voices. It is not normal to have visitors at this hour in the evening. So then, who is it?

"No we haven't seen anyone like that around here." Shikamaru heard his mother answer to some question of the unknown visitor.

"Well, we heard that she knows your son." A sly, manly voice spoke suspiciously.

That perked their attention even more. For a moment, Shikamaru wondered if these unknowns are referring to Temari. But before he could dwell more on the sly voice's statement, he saw the blonde girl next to him jump down from the tree. He followed her without any complaints.

When they reached the front of the house, they saw a tall man with fiery-orange hair standing next to a lean guy with a huge sword on his back. Shikamaru recalled it to be the sword belonging to one of those great mist swordsmen. Even their features were suspicious enough to make him turn on his guard-mode. However, he did not get the chance to think about them any further as Temari pulled him towards his parents, who were talking to the strange men by the door.

The man with the huge sword looked up at him and grinned.

"Hey dude, do you know anything about a girl with weird pink hair?" He asked.

A girl with weird pink hair! Undoubtedly, he is talking about Sakura. But why is he looking for Sakura? The thought heightened his suspicions to another level. It is not an everyday thing to see two strange men, one of whom happens to own a huge sword, looking for one of his close comrades. _What do they even want from her?_

Temari voiced his thoughts exactly with those same words, "What do you even want from her?!"

 _Damn! Big mistake._

The unknown guys looked suspiciously at Temari, as if she has spoken just the words they wanted to hear. Ofcourse, she sounds suspicious. To talk about a girl who has been missing since four months as if you see her every other day is not something that people will pass without a thorough evaluation. Apparently, both the strangers were extremely delighted to hear her anger-filled question. Temari herself realised her blunder and tried looking away. Even his parents were surprised because of her outburst. But if these men manage to sneak any information about their pink-haired friend then who knows what tortures they'll use on her. Something needs to be done to divert their attention away from Temari's words. _Think Shikamaru, think_ , he chanted to himself. And right away, the most bizarre idea hit his head.

"Yeah!" Shikamaru shouted, "What do you even want from a girl who has been missing for four months now?"

The guy with orange hair tilted his head towards the lazy genius and asked, "Missing?"

"Obviously missing." Shikaku was the one who responded.

"The girl that you are looking for is Sakura Haruno I presume. She is the only girl that I've ever known to own a head covered in petal-pink locks of hair. But sadly, she has been missing ever since the end of the war. No one knows where she is or why she disappeared." He explained further.

Temari is one of those members of the FoK who straightaway rejected the idea of keeping everything about their group a secret. And these secrets also included hiding everything about Sakura's identity. If someone ever mentions about Sakura to any members of the FoK, then they are supposed to label her as 'missing'. Yet Temari failed to keep-up with the rules and slipped. But now, she is glad that not even anyone's family members knows about Sakura or the FoK. Indeed, it was a good idea to keep everything a secret.

Both of Shikamaru's parents talk about Sakura as if she has actually vanished from the village because to them, this is the truth. She was relieved by Shikaku-san's explanation and so was Shikamaru. They thought the guys would finally take their leaves but unfortunately, no. That didnot happen.

"Hmmm...it's hard to believe." The man with white hair and shark-like teeth mused.

"Hard to believe? Go talk to the other villagers. They'll tell you the exact same thing." Shikamaru stated with ease.

Everyone went silent after that and Shikamaru grasped that moment to think more deeply about this whole conversation. These guys do look familiar yet he is unable to put a finger on their identities. But what's irritating him the most, is their interest in the pink-haired medic. What is the purpose of their search? Why do they need her? What is she even needed for? This activated a new side in him, a side he never knew was within him. A brotherly sort of feeling towards the pinkette arose in him. It pushed him to protect the broken girl.

"Why are you looking for her?" He asked again.

"Well...we don't really know.." The shark-boy answered.

"Stop playing dumb with me. I know that you work for the Hokage." Shikamaru warned.

"Heh! I know whom I'm working for but this doesn't mean that my boss tells me everything about his plans. We were asked to bring a girl and that's what we are trying to do." The guy answered angrily.

 _Damn you, Sasuke!_ Suigetsu just wanted to find and kill this pink-haired girl right now. Neither him nor Juugo knows anything about her or about why she is so important for Sasuke. They want to get this work over with but this pineapple-headed guy is not going to stop anytime soon with his interrogation.

He sneered at the guy, "Besides, I guess your woman here knows something about the girl we're looking for." Suigetsu commented and shook his head in the direction of Temari.

"My woman doesn't-" Shikamaru shut his own mouth when he realised what the white-haired guy had just used to address Temari. To make it worse, he addressed her with the same words. His woman?

"My woman? Oh no no no! You're taking it the wrong way. We're not.." Shikamaru stopped himself yet again.

 _We're not...what?_ He questioned himself. He doesn't really know what they are.

"Don't try to change the subject of this discussion!" Temari yelled her cheeks only slightly flushed.

"Whatever" the white-haired man drawled out and turned.

He gave one glance to his tall companion and spoke, "Lets go Juugo. There's nothing here."

The tall guy named Juugo gasped in surprise, then turned towards the four members of the house and bowed his head, "Sorry for disturbing you all at such a time in the evening."  
With that said, the two men left.

* * *

 ** _A/N: So this it for the third chapter of A Chance at Redemption._**

 ** _Lots of ShikaTema in this one, eh? I'll be honest with you guys. ShikaTema is my second fav pairing from Naruto. I mean they were so obvious since the beginning. They are so obvious that even Suigetsu noticed it ;D_**

 ** _And did you guys enjoy the chappie?_**

 **~Manika**


	4. -:Becoming the Centrepiece:-

**Posted on: 06/01/17**

 **A/N: Sorry it took me a while but here's the fourth chappie for you lovely readers.**

 **But before that, I'd like to thank everyone who wrote me a review for the previous chapter.**

 **Guest : I know you've been reviewing since chapter 1, so thank you for your support :D**

 **Liliane : I'm glad that you find this story interesting. I'll try my best to keep you hooked ;)**

 **SaYwHaT : First of all, thank you so much for sparing your time and writing a thorough review. It really means a lot. Okay, so as you said about Sakura. I'm glad that you totally understand her situation. Being one of the person closet to Tsunade, she cannot see her parents. And she has lost all the members of her precious team except for. Actually, at this point, Sai and Ino are her only pillars of support as the others expect her to be almighty..you know, expecting a lot from the Team 7. But don't worry, even I hate when the writers make her look pathetic. She's just going through the phase of heartbreak. At this point, she's just like an elastic and once someone pulls too hard, she'll break and then there'll be hell to pay. She'll be just as badass as she is in the manga. Just give her some time :)**

 **As for the Kages, Naruto and Karin, things about their lives [or deaths ;)] will be revealed at different points of time. As, for the relationship between Karin and Sakura.. well I dunno, you'll just have to wait. And yep! I'll be adding everyone's P.o.V.s so surely, you'll get Sasuke's too.**

 **Okay, so without much ado, here's the 4th chapter of ACaR:-**

* * *

 ** _"Smile out of mannerisms,  
it will be fake...  
Smile for someone else's sake,  
it will be genuine..."  
-Sai_**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Becoming the Centrepiece**

* * *

The sound of water dripping from a crack in the ceiling of the underground room penetrated the dead-silence of the place. Everything inside the room was eerily quiet. Even the people sitting on the wooden stools chose meaningful stares over the use of verbal communication. A sharp crack was heard and all the eyes turned to see the latest member enter through the only door to the room. His dark form was thoroughly soaked and he was heaving. When he passed a hand through his wet, off-white locks and pulled-out a red lollipop from his pocket, everyone recognised him as the leader of their small rebel group. He waved his hand at them and took a seat next to the only other person from his village; the first being himself. He felt the busty girl take a long breath of irritation and ignored her.

"Should I begin?" A deep, lazy voice asked him.

Darui was slightly, only slightly, taken aback by the question. Everyone was looking at him with a strange sort of seriousness radiating from their persona. No greetings? Okay...He sighed, pulling the lollipop to the left side of his mouth using his tongue and then spoke, "Alright, you can begin with it Shikamaru."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and began, "I take it that most of us already know why we are here?"

Some nodded an affirmative at him while the others shrugged unknowingly.

"Today, at around seven past twenty in the evening, two strange looking guys came at my house, one of whom was carrying a huge sword behind his back. The guy with the sword was very lean and had white hair that contrasted well with his violet irises. He also had very sharp, shark-like teeth. His partner on the other hand was tall and had scarlet-red irises and an unusual sort of fiery-orange hair.." Shikamaru explained.

Everyone nodded their agreement for him to continue so he went on, "...No doubt they work for the Uchihas but..what intrigued me the most was their interest in the search of a certain kunoichi. And the girl they were looking for is.."

"Is?" Kiba pressed immediately, unable to contain his curiosity. Everyone awaited his response while Chouji started stuffing more and more chips into his mouth.

"The girl they are searching for is..", he paused for effect then finished, "Sakura Haruno."

A number of gasps and statements conveying shock, followed right after his words. It took them about two minutes to calm down from the revelation he had just made.

When the quiet of the room was restored, Ino was the first one who spoke. "I see. So this is the reason why Sakura has not been invited to this urgent meeting?" She asked.

"Yes" Temari was the one who answered.

As soon as those two weird men said their goodbyes and left the Nara Clan's Compound, an air of anxiety surrounded Temari. She wondered, if they have been questioned about their pink-haired friend then isn't it obvious that the others might've been too. When she told about this to Shikamaru, he said that he was thinking the same. Immediately after that, they ate the dinner with Shikamaru's parents and then secretly, Temari summoned her trusted weasel, Kamatari and send him with a message requesting an urgent meeting of the FoK. The minute the message reached Darui, he forwarded the message to all the other members keeping in mind the short request made by Temari at the end of the message. 'Do not call Sakura.' It read and so he complied.

Everyone was asked to report at the HQ at 2:30 sharp after midnight, without being noticed by their family members. So here they are, discussing about this latest concern. Temari insisted that Sakura must not get involved in this case and should also not know anything about this. It can be very dangerous for her already broken mental stature. Thus, Temari deemed this as the best for her.

"They appeared at the Hyuga Compounds too. And they really did ask about Sakura." Neji admitted.

Darui took a lick of his lollipop and asked, "Anyone else got to meet them? Or at least saw them?"

Shino was the only one who raised his hand in a yes. "They came and asked if I have seen any pink-haired girl around. I gave a negative response and they left. And yes, they looked just like Shikamaru has described them." Shino told Darui and the others in his solemn tone.

"I have never heard about anyone like that before. Did they participate in the war?" Samui asked, her irritation replaced by interest.

Before anymore confusion could occur, Sai intervened, "Suigetsu and Juugo."

"What?" The pale-blonde girl asked.

Sai turned to face Samui and answered, "The men Shikamaru, Neji and Shino are talking about, are Suigetsu and Juugo. They were once a part of Sasuke's Team Taka."

"And you know about them because?" Kiba asked.

"Because I used to work for the Root Division. There, I was supposed to stay up-to-date about the three former members of Team 7. And for that, I was given all the details about Sasuke's life as a Rogue Shinobi." He explained, flashing them his signature fake smile.

Nobody really liked the fake smile that Sai gave them. It was a usual thing for them but still very creepy. The boy was taken up into the Root at a very tender age and no one knows what Danzo did to turn the boy the way he is. It is hard to imagine that people can be restricted from their very own emotions just for the sake of keeping up with the standards of a shinobi. The only people who have been able to bring out any sort of change in his emotionless personality are Sakura and Naruto. Sai accepted the help of his teammates because unlike others who only saw him as a replacement for their previous teammate, both Sakura and Naruto treated him like a different individual. Like he was not any substitute for the team but a completely new member. Yes, it took them some time but they were the first ones who offered him a hand in friendship. No one else has treated him like they did. But ofcourse, new additions keep coming and in his case, this new person came in the form of a blonde, extremely enthusiastic female.

Ino is the only person who actually accepted his out of the usual behaviour and tried to help him out when Sakura and Naruto weren't around. It is hard to believe that a girl as emotional as her became really close to an emotionless guy like him. And for some odd reason, he enjoys her cheerful presence. Personally speaking, he enjoys her company the most. It will be the worst nightmare for him to lose the bond that he shares with her...

Instinctively, he whipped his head only to find her smiling softly at him. She appreciates him the way he is...

"But why are Sasuke's ex-teammates looking for my beautiful Sakura-chan?!" Lee interrupted Sai's thoughts and ask-yelled.

"That's exactly what we are here for." Temari answered, "We need to find out why these guys are after Sakura."

"Before joining Sasuke's side, those two guys were used in a regular basis as Orochimaru's test subjects." Sai stated.

"Which means that maybe they are only looking for her to cure them of any side-effects that they are suffering from because of Orochimaru's experimentation on their body." Shino suggested.

Shikamaru who had been silently listening to the whole conversation, stood up from his perch on the stool. His getting up indicated that he has properly deduced all the ideas, suggestions and conversations.

"No that cannot be the case since the one with the sword..I mean Suigetsu," Shikamaru spoke, nodding at Sai for informing them about their names and then continued, "Suigetsu himself told me that its an order given to him by his higher ups."

"Heh!" Kiba scoffed, "For what purpose would Madara want Sakura?"

"No" Shikamaru shook his head.

Everyone looked at the Nara-genius and awaited his completely figured-out response.

"Its just as Sai told us. These guys were a part of Sasuke's team." He stated matter-of-factedly.

"I have an inkling that the younger Uchiha is the one involved here." Shikamaru explained.

The moment he uttered those words, a string of 'Whats' and 'Whys' were flung at him. Everyone was confused about the involvement of the youngest Uchiha in this whole mess.

A blonde haired kunoichi was the most befuddled by hearing this. Her light blue irises looked around with anxiety. Her mind wandered around the thoughts of her best friend since childhood and then towards the aloof Uchiha Survivor, who now doesn't happen to be the only survivor. She pondered, if the boy kept away from her pink-haired friend for so long then why would he suddenly want her to come back to him? No one can really say what's going on in his head. He is just like the Kyuubi-boy used to be- unpredictable.

"But why does Sasuke want to see Sakura now? Now, after leaving her on a bench during a cold night and after already trying to kill her twice?! Wasn't that enough for him?!" Ino asked, mustering all her feelings for her friend in her words.

Apparently, her words actually struck a lot of them. Kiba, Lee and Sai's expressions saddened as if they recalled a very bad, long-forgotten memory from the recesses of their brain. Tenten shifted awkwardly in her stool and to everyone's immense surprise, Chouji's munching on the potato chips came to a halt. Even Neji and Shino looked more distant all of a sudden while Temari gave a reassuring squeeze to Shikamaru's sulking shoulder. The leader of their group and his assistant Samui were the only ones without any painful expressions on their faces. They were completely clueless about what caused such a disturbing silence amongst the members. It must've been something excruciatingly agonizing.

"I don't really know what happened between Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno in the past..." Darui began.

When everyone looked at him with their solemn expressions, he continued, "...but I suppose it would be the best if Sakura doesn't find out about this. It will only add to her tension even more. Therefore, I suggest that until we are able to desist the actions taken by Sasuke and his sidekicks, one of us must stay with Sakura at all times."

Shikamaru sighed, "Not a bad idea, Ino can stay with her after her working hours at the hospital."

"And one of us can secretly watch-over her during her time spent at the hospital." Temari added.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"I can do that." Samui spoke all of a sudden.

All the heads whipped in her direction and stared at her incredulously. After her angry chiding at Sakura during their previous meeting, no one had expected her to say something like this. Something so supportive for the pinkette.

"I said I will watch over her during her working hours at the hospital." She spoke again, this time more authoritatively so as to make everyone get her point.

"Okay then, her protection has been settled." Darui spoke, "Now, there is also this problem that most of you have still not been questioned by those two guys. So whenever you see them, try diverting their minds away from their mission and make them loose interest in the case. If this doesn't work then a silent kill will be the second option. Are we clear?" He asked.

"Yes!" Everyone shouted in unison.

"Alright then, we have another meeting tomorrow afternoon about the discussion of stopping the Hyuga Clan Extermination." Darui reminded.

Everyone nodded and then Samui announced, "Dismiss!"

All the members of the FoK exited the HQ after hearing her command and dispersed into different directions to head towards their respective homes.

* * *

Sakura woke-up by the first rays of the sun peeking at her face through the open-window in the bedroom of her small apartment. She took a long yawn before getting out of the duvet and stretching her limbs to prepare her frail body for the day. With dark-circles covering her eyes, she walked towards her bathroom. Not only has she been sleep-deprived for four months but also experiencing loss of appetite. If her body is still doing proper functioning then its all thanks to the corn-soup that she takes every morning as her daily meal. She wants to keep her body nourished but whenever she tries, she is unable to swallow even a single bite of the solid foods available at her home. The outcome of the war has effected every individual in some form. And in her case, it's the loss of sleep and appetite, which have made her already thin, athletic-built even thinner.

She stared at the sluggish-looking girl in the mirror and spoke, "I will talk to her today."

The memories of her previous day's activities flooded her brain. She recalled how determined she had been when she exited her office at the hospital. Her squared-shoulders and confident stride towards the Hyuga Compound were still fresh in her mind's eye. She had gone to talk to Hinata about the whole clan elimination thing but as soon as she reached the main doors of the pale-eyed girl's house, the images of the young heiress's weeping face returned into her thoughts. She lifted her hand but found herself unable to knock so she did the best she could- she left the Hyuga Compounds without having any kind of conversation with Hinata Hyuga over the pressing matter of her clan.

Sakura punched the mirror with all her might, frustrated at the reflection of her own form, looking sadly at her. No more casualties can be afforded. She decided that even if the fate tries obstructing her goals, she will leap over and talk Hinata out of her sorrowful state for the sake of her vulnerable clan. Etching that agenda in her mind as the main goal of the day, she picked-up her tooth brush from the sideboard.

.

.

.

Sakura exited her hospital's office like every other day, locking the door behind her. She recalled her aim for the day- a convincing talk with Hinata. Today, she is not going to cower-away by the mere thought of the weeping face of the Hyuga Princess. Today she will woman-up and do what she must for the good of an entire clan.

She walked out of the hospital greeting every nurse and fellow doctors on her way.

As soon as she stepped down onto the stone pavement, she was pulled into a strangling embrace. When she was released from the tight hug, her gaze fell upon her childhood best friend's form. The blue-eyed beauty dragged the pinkette along with her on the sidewalk, in the direction of the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Sakura tried questioning her actions but the blonde didnot answer. With an eerie smile plastered on her face, Ino turned her head back at the huge building of the Konoha Medical Hospital and winked at a silhouetted figure on the rooftop of the building. A heavily-busted girl emerged from the shadows and winked back at the long, ponytailed girl. When the young Yamanaka Heiress turned back to face her bestie, the girl on the rooftop top vanished in a poof of smoke. Their plan is working pretty well. Now that Samui has done her part in guarding Sakura, its Ino's turn.

* * *

It was three in the afternoon and the sun was at its peak, shining fiercely in the sky. A tall, raven-haired man passed a hand through his dark locks and looked-up at the high building before him- The Hokage Tower. The man was summoned by his great grandfather to meet him for an important discussion at the said place. He sighed, wiping the sheen of sweat forming on his forehead because of the heat radiations from the sun. As if the hot temperature wasn't enough, his black sweatpants and equally matching T-shirt increased the heat even more. But still, this is the colour that suits his aloof persona, so it is best to wear these. Breathing out another sigh of irritation, he entered the Tower.

On reaching the top floor, he slammed-open the door that led to the office of the head of this village without even considering a polite knock. The man sitting on the chair before the desk only smirked at his behaviour and stood-up.

"Sasuke, I have been waiting for you." He spoke.

The young man scoffed, "What do you want, Madara?"

Another man present in the room, who had been completely ignored by Sasuke up until now walked over to him and spoke up, "Is this how you treat your elders?!"

The eldest amongst the three smirked even more. Both his grandsons are completely poles apart. They are nothing like each-other. One is a conceited, aloof, self-righteous youngster while the other is a middle-aged obedient sycophant. Both are strong enough to win against all odds yet when it comes to choosing one, Madara will nominate the younger one because even though he is a hot-headed man, Sasuke owns a perfect pair of Sharingan. Plus, he is well-acquainted with the hatred that comes with these eyes. Sasuke will be Madara's choice as a successor any day without any doubts.

"Did you find her, Sasuke?" Madara asked.

"Find who?" The younger one asked his own question.

Madara immediately understood that Sasuke is only playing with him. He knows what the whole deal is about but still wants to hear it from his great grandfather. Some guts he has.

"The girl that you've been looking for. Have you found her?" Madara asked the complete question this time.

"Not yet." came the curt response.

"Why you?! Behave yourselves infront of Madara-sama!" The other grandson scolded Sasuke again.

"I'm trying." Sasuke teased.

Although it may look like a normal banter between two blood-relatives but in case of the Uchihas, one must be very careful. Madara noticed the hostility in Sasuke's eyes and the glare of the other one. So, before their anger could escalate any further, he diffused the scene.

"Good Sasuke, for answering truthfully. You must find her by the end of this week. However I shall remind you that you only have two days and today before this week comes to an end. Hope this much time will be more than enough for you?" Madara asked in a firm voice.

"I will find her by tonight." Sasuke stated with an air of ego about his words and left the tower. If this is what he had been called here for, then it was a complete waste of his precious time.

The other man kept glaring at the youngest member of their prestigious clan leave without any sense of respect for their leader. No wonder Orochimaru took him in to join his lair of misfits.

"Obito" Madara called out and the man turned his gaze away from the door to face his great grandfather.

"Yes, Madara-sama?" He bowed.

"Don't worry too much about Sasuke's behaviour. He is exactly how I used to be." Madara said.

"I see. If this what you want from me then I will stop interfering in his matters." Obito bowed again.

"Hmm..." Madara nodded, "You may take your leave."

With that said Obito bowed once more to their clan's leader and left the Hokage's office.

* * *

"Man..we're getting nowhere with this." muttered an utterly bored Suigetsu.

His tall accompanist looked down at him with no hints of sympathy. He was not at all worried about the water-loving boy's boredom, he was more concerned about his master's constantly growing anger because of their failure in finding the woman he so desperately wants to see. If they don't find her by the end of this week then only fate knows what Sasuke has in store for them. It is important for them to do this to quell Sasuke's furious stature of mind.

"We need to find her." Juugo mumbled determinedly.

"But-"

Before Suigetsu could argue, Juugo stopped him and glanced at a building towards his left. Confused by his actions, Suigetsu also peeked out to assess the cause of Juugo's interest. It was an ordinary flower shop, one of those where you can search through or request for the bunch of your choice. What was so special about it, Suigetsu could not see.

He simply asked his tall partner, "What?"

Juugo's eyes squinted as he continued staring at the store, "Look at the Banner."

Suigetsu quirked his brows but then did as he was asked to and indeed, he too was just as dumbfounded as his fiery-haired comrade. There in pure Kanji, on the centre of the banner was the name of the shop, etched in big and concise letters: Yamanaka's Flower Shop. For a duration of full three and a half minutes their eyes remained glued to the banner. It felt like one of those experiences wherein you keep talking nonsense about something and suddenly that thing appears out of nowhere. Suigetsu took a huge gulp, not of the water stored in his small pack but of the anxiety and excitement building up in the pit of his belly.

"But I thought this civilian gossip was a...plain rumour." Suigetsu mutter confusedly.

"But seems like...it is true afterall." Juugo muttered back.

Unconsciously, their legs initiated the short jog towards the shop, halting only when they reached right at its door. If the civilians were sure about sighting a pink-haired female at the Yamanaka's Flower Shop, then maybe this is the evidence that they had been waiting for. Both of them exchanged a glance and nodded their heads before pushing-open the door to the shop.

* * *

Sakura sighed for the umpteenth time as she stared at the customers searching through the different assortments of flowers to find the perfect ones for their loved ones. She wanted to lash-out at her best friend for dragging her unwillingly to the Flower Shop owned by her parents. She was so determined to talk Hinata into helping them out for the Mission of the FoK but Ino kept ignoring her. So now here she is, helping her friend with handling the shop.

To calm her worried soul, Ino also informed her that the meeting of the FoK has been shifted to 12 o' clock midnight for some unknown reason. This provided Sakura a breath of relief and she rejoiced at the thought that still has a lot of time to convince Hinata and then bring her along to join the meeting held tonight. But then, her goal will only turn into a reality if she ever manages to sneak out of this shop without being noticed by her chirpy best friend.

"Excuse me, can you help me find the Lilacs?" A man asked her.

She walked around the counter and guided the man towards the flowers he had asked for. Ino was busy in the backyard, helping out some customers with a few exotic varieties of shrubs. Sakura's intuition told her to use this moment to her advantage and attempt her escapade.

She recalled the way Samui had called her a 'bitch' and how Tenten was angry at her for failing in being able to bring Hinata to their previous meeting. Not only that, everyone else present there was also slightly disappointed by her. She needs to get over the label of being 'weak'. And for this sole purpose, she is going to milk Hinata into joining the FoK. She took a long breath to calm her quivering heart and decided to leave the shop.

As she lifted her legs to make a dash out of the shop, she heard the door to the shop being pushed open. For some reason, she felt her intuition poking her to have a peak at the incoming customers. She excused herself from the man examining the lilacs and walked to the door, making sure there were no flaws in her henge that could lead her into trouble. In a flash, she found herself hurled onto the cold, wooden floor and gasped.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So this is it for the fourth chapter of A Chance at Redemption. I know it ended kind of like a cliff-hanger but I'll update soon.**_

 _ **This time the Opening Quote is given to Sai. I don't really know if anyone's even reading them but anyways XD**_

 _ **So what do you think of all these events revolving directly or indirectly around Sakura?**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter.**_

 _ **Much Love**_

 **~Manika**


	5. -:Damsel in Distress:-

**Posted on: 09/01/17**

 **A/N: Hi Everyone! So..I didn't gain many reviews for the previous chapter, which isn't a bad thing. But it sort of helps me understand my good points and my weak ones. And it also helps me understand about the things that I need to improve...**

 **Well..anyways, lets do a recap:**

 **Shikamaru finds out that Suigetsu and Juugo are looking for Sakura so he informs all the members of FoK. They decide to protect her turn by turn. As soon as Sakura leaves the hospital, Ino drags her to her parents' flower shop to keep an eye on her. When Juugo and Suigetsu spot the rumoured Flower Shop, they push the door open and enter. At that same instant Sakura turns her head to look at them but is hurled forcefully to the ground. Now lets continue:-**

* * *

 ** _"Look into her heart,  
you'll only find anguish...  
But look into her eyes  
and you'll feel hope..."  
-Ino Yamanaka_**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: The Damsel in Distress**

* * *

Sakura will never admit it to her conscience but she was more than desperate to prove her worth to the members of the FoK. People keep giving her fake sympathy for the sake of maintaining peace while in the insides, they blame her for every single act that goes wrong. She is sick of the treatment that she has been receiving for no apparent reason.

So, when she decided to put her escape plan into action, she heard the door to the shop being pushed open. She excused herself from the man examining the lilacs and walked to the door, making sure there were no flaws in her henge that could lead her into trouble. In a flash, she found herself hurled onto the cold, wooden floor and gasped.

"Caught you!" A familiar voice teased.

Confused, she opened her tightly shut eyes to look up at her captor making another shocked gasp escape her lips.

* * *

Ino knew the exact time at which Sakura leaves Konoha's Medical Hospital. Therefore, as noon approached and the pink-haired medic made an exit from the hospital to see the Hyuga heiress, Ino dragged her to her parent's flower shop. Of all the methods to convince Hinata into joining the FoK, Sakura plans in using some sweet-talk? No, it will never work-out. Ino has tried it numerous times herself but failed. She has still not been able to elicit a real smile from her best friend. Thus, to distract the pinkette from her plan, Ino engaged her with the job of handling the counter of the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

She herself was busy with some customers in the backyard for their in the back of the house, they keep all the exotic varieties that come from different places around the country. As she handed over the desired flowers to the last customer, she walked back to the main area of the house. There from the threshold, she saw Sakura talking to a man near a bunch of beautiful lilacs. She noticed the anxious expression present on the medic's face as if contemplating about doing something or not. All of a sudden, the door to the shop was pushed-open and the bell at the top of the door clattered. At the same time Sakura turned around to check on the latest customers entering the shop. But when Ino took-in the features of the odd duo, she made her feet motion the fastest they could and tackled her friend to the floor, making her gasp in shock.

"Caught you!" Ino muttered in a sing-song voice to grab her friend's attention away from the door.

Hearing her voice, Sakura looked up at her and gasped even more. Slowly her tense muscles began relaxing on meeting the gaze of her blonde best friend. For a moment there, she thought that some unknown enemy was trying to kill her only to realise that it was just her childhood friend. She sighed deeply and looked questioningly at Ino for her weird actions. The customers gave her even more questioning looks.

"Uh..." Ino thought before continuing to speak, her eyes scanning all the customers that were watching her and then finally settled on the strange pair of latest customers that had entered the shop.

"Trying to escape, now are we?" Ino glared at her as she spoke, "You already tire yourself with so much work at the hospital. I'm not letting you attend to every single customer here at the shop. Go back into the kitchen and take a snack-break." The blue-eyed girl ordered.

Sakura stood up and brushed off some fake dust from her clothes while walking inside the house, towards the kitchen, still suspicious of her friend's behaviour.

As soon as the girl disappeared, all the customers went back to their usual task of selecting flowers. Ino turned around to look at the two strange men, one eyeing her with concern while the other with hints of amusement. She stepped towards them and flashed them a small professional smile.

"How may I help you, Sirs?" She asked politely.

The amused one grinned at her from ear-to-ear, giving her a perfect view of his complete set of thirty-two, sharp teeth. He winked at her as if he had caught her in some inappropriate act and grinned wider if that was even possible. _Two strange looking guys came at my house, one of whom was carrying a huge sword behind his back. The guy with the sword was very lean and had white hair that contrasted well with his violet irises. He also had very sharp, shark-like teeth. His partner on the other hand was tall and had scarlet-red irises and an unusual sort of fiery-orange hair._ Ino recalled Shikamaru's vivid description of the two men and was now sure that these were the weird guys that he was talking about.

"Sorry for interrupting the moment with your girlfriend." He apologised in a mock tone.

Ino smiled again, "Hehe...we were just arguing, nothing more. You know, it's a friends thing."

The guy nodded and grinned. "Say, have you seen a girl around here with freakish, pink hair?" He asked.

"Pink hair?!" Ino faked a surprised look, "Now who would even dye their lovely hair into a shade of pink?!"

"No", the tall man spoke this time, "You're getting it wrong. Her hair colour is naturally pink."

"Although I still find it unbelievable," Ino flashed them her best oblivious-look and answered, "I'll say I haven't seen anyone around here like that. I am really sorry." She bowed gracefully before the two men.

They eyed her for a few seconds as if examining her for any hints of hesitation or fear but found none. Both exchanged a meaningful glance and nodded towards the blonde young woman. The taller one bowed his head before her and apologised for disturbing her while his partner sighed in exasperation and tugged him out of the shop.

The moment they were out of the place, Ino released a breath that she didn't realise she had been holding onto. With a sigh of relief, she left the customers to themselves and scurried towards the kitchen to find her friend.

.

.

On entering the kitchen, Ino felt no presence of a breathing, 18-year old female. Worriedly, she looked around in every nook and corner of the small room. She rushed to the backyard and slammed open the door. No signs of a dark haired girl with midnight black orbs. She scurried back to the kitchen and searched around again but to her dismay, she found nothing. A cool breeze swayed-past her skin and it was then that she noticed the large, oak window was wide open. Shit! Ino cursed inwardly on realising that Sakura has actually gone...

* * *

Sakura entered the kitchen with a frown stretching across her features. At first, it was only them who would criticise her behind her back but now her very own childhood best friend has started doing the same. The minute she began walking to attend to the latest customers at the Yamanaka Flower Shop, she was tackled to the floor by her friend. Ino didn't even allow her to take a peek at the customers and ordered her to go to the kitchen.

She is angry for always being held back like this but she never rebelled against any of her friends. Not even once did she go against the commands given to her. But when she saw the large, oak window in the room, a small devious smirk replaced her frown. She pushed it open and with one look to check if anyone was coming or not, she leaped out, feeling no chakra signatures.

As soon as she escaped and began heading down the pathway, her mind started formulating plans for her as there were still hours to spend before the beginning of the meeting. Convincing Hinata was the first thing on her list but she skipped it and moved onto the next goals on her list. Doing a quick check on her parents was second on the list, followed by seeing a five-year old patient at the hospital. She decided to visit Hinata as this is supposed to be the most important task in her list but for some weird reason, her feet took her to an old, scarcely populated area in Konoha. She continued walking, making her legs choose the directions for her. Her motion came to halt before a small, two-storey house and she smiled sadly at the place. The place has played too significant role in her life to be forgotten. She smiled at the front lawn, the stone pillars at the front gate, the wooden porch and at everything else that her eyes could intake at a glance.

How can she ever forget the one place where she didn't need to worry her head over every little thing? The only place where no one underestimated or made her feel inferior. The place where she had grown-up as a young innocent girl, only to be turned into a practical woman with time. Yes, this is the only place which she can never archive into the back of her mind's deepest pits. After all, it is her home.

She wanted to knock and enter at the very instant she saw it and yet she cannot. Her feet glued to the ground, she stared at the house for who knows how long, waiting by luck to get a glimpse of the two people that brought her into this not-so-beautiful world of the Shinobi. As if on cue, the door clicked open and she quickly masked her presence, hiding behind one of the huge pillars. A tall man in his fifties stepped down from the porch and began watering the shrubs in the lawn. The man's spiky, pale-purple hair had turned even lighter. It was now a shade more close to white. Another click was heard and Sakura moved her eyes away from her father to see her mother walk out of the same door. The thin woman joined her father in the task of watering the plants. Both exchanged a soft smile and continued.

It was right after the war that Madara began to hunt down every person related to the fifth hokage to publicly execute them. It was an unnecessary feat but Madara hated the Senjus and wanted every single one of them dead. He even couldn't stand the number of people who had become a part of Tsunade Senju's foster family and ordered to kill all the people acquainted with her. Sakura being one of them ran and hid herself away from everyone she knew. She went so far as to disguise herself as a normal doctor of the village. Ino and Sai were the only ones who knew about her alias and helped her out in blending with her new persona.

Later on, Ino informed everyone of their friends about her henge. Everyone but her parents. Ino argued many a times with her to reveal it to them but Sakura did not permit it. Instead, Sakura made Ino tell her parents that their daughter has been missing ever since the end of the war. With some hints of guilt and sorrow, her parents accepted the fake news about her daughter's disappearance.  
So now here they are, completely at peace with their life. They don't need to worry anymore about their good-for-nothing daughter. Sakura smiled at them again before leaving the grounds carefully so as to not get noticed by anyone in the area.

Now that she has seen her parents, she can move onto the most important task on her list- convincing Hinata Hyuga. With that goal set in her mind, she made her way to the Hyuga Compound.

.

On her way to Hinata's house, Sakura came across another familiar street. This place also holds many precious memories of her life; memories about the time when she was still an innocent twelve-year old. She smiled sardonically at the sight of her former team's favourite hangout spot, remembering about the past events and feeling just how much time has changed her into the woman that she is today. She straightened herself, wanting to skip the street altogether yet her mind told her to atleast pay respect to those old, joyful memories that had once been shared at the spot. Therefore, she sighed inwardly at her own weakness for her past and walked towards the place.

As she reached the place, she lifted one of the banners of her former teammate's favourite noodle shop and sat down on one of the vacant stools right next to a guy with a huge sword resting by his leg. She took a proper side-glance at the guy and saw him talking to a tall man with fiery, orange hair. To her, they appeared to be astonishingly familiar. Her mind was sure about having seen them before. Their names were stuck in her head but her tongue just couldn't put voice to them.

 _Think Sakura! Think!_ Sakura berated herself inwardly for not being able to recall their identities.

"Man...Sasuke is surely gonna kill us." The one sitting next to her muttered casually.

At the mention of her ex-teammate, Sakura gasped, making everyone turn their heads at her. She grinned apologetically.

"Oh!" The owner's daughter looked at her and Sakura almost jumped in fright. _Almost_.

"I'm sorry I didn't take your order." The girl apologised to her and Sakura sighed in relief.

"One pork ramen, please." She ordered and the girl left after bowing her head again.

 _That was close_ , she thought.

The guys went back to continue with their conversation as the one with orange hair shook his head in disagreement, "No, not us. He'll only kill you and that too just for being so care-free about everything he expects from us."

"Yeah...yeah..." The man next to her passed a hand through his white-hair in what seemed like irritation and spoke, "But there's no way that a girl with pink hair-"

"Pink hair?!" asked the shop-owner's daughter in a shocked voice.

Both of the guys looked back at her, equally surprised.

"You-you mean Sakura-san?" The young girl asked.

Sakura flinched at her name being called-out like that in a public spot and that also by a girl who used to know her. Instinctively, she scanned her whole form to check if her henge had any flaws that could put her own identity in any kind of jeopardy.

"You", the orange-haired man addressed the young girl politely, "Sakura-san, right? Do you..do you know her?" The man asked. Sakura gulped.

"Not quite," the girl answered sadly but genuinely, "I used to know her..."

"What's this supposed to mean?!" The white-haired guy asked.

At that very moment, Teuchi, the shop-owner who had presumably been busy preparing her pork ramen came over to the counter. The look on his face was a mix of sorrow, pity and determination. He bowed at each one of them before joining in the conversation as he felt the need to pull his daughter away from these strange-looking men.

"Sakura Haruno, yes, me and my daughter used to know her. She was one of our cherished regular customers until.." The man decided to leave his speech incomplete.

"Until?" The white-haired guy pressed on the matter, now showing hints of eagerness in the topic of discussion.

"...until she disappeared. No one knows how..but she just vanished after the war." Teuchi answered honestly.

The eagerness in the white-haired man's eyes was gone as disappointment took it's place. "Sasuke is sooo gonna kill me." He muttered to himself and stood-up from his stool. After paying the required sum of money to the young daughter of the shopkeeper, he left with his tall partner in tow.

Sakura relaxed her stiff muscles. She had been beyond scared by their presence right next to her. Suigetsu and Juugo- she recalled them the moment they started talking about Sasuke. She knows about them as she had once read about their identities in a bingo book. They are highly-skilled S-ranked criminals, known for their weird affinity to killing but what's more noticeable is that they were once a part of Sasuke's rogue team, Taka. For them to be searching for her, is not an everyday activity that can be taken lightly. Not to mention, one of them said that Sasuke is going to kill him. This probably means that the whole matter is somewhat linked with Sasuke. Staying as far as possible from them will be the best for her.

 _But..._ , she thought. If they know Sasuke then they can take her to meet him. And if she meets Sasuke then she can confront him about the 'Hyuga Clan Annihilation' and maybe convince him to stop it from occurring altogether. Yes! Maybe there's no need for her to waste her time on convincing a girl as broken as herself? Maybe all that she must do is talk to the people who will play a major role in this mass killing, especially because she knows one of the man involved. _Or...used to know..._

Worried in a miasma of her thoughts about having to meet her ex-teammate again, she shook her head. _No, I must not do this. But...what if..._ If Sasuke is actually related to this whole search for her then maybe she can use it to her advantage and help out Neji and his clan from being completely exterminated. And also, this will prove her worth to the members of the FoK.

 _Yes! I must give it a try!_ She told herself and stood-up from the stool that she had occupied.

Teuchi looked back at her questioningly.

"I'm sorry I need to go. Please cancel the order I had placed a few minutes ago." With that request made, she exited the shop and ran towards the two S-ranked criminals.

.

"Excuse me!" She called out loudly to the weird duo, making them turn back to face her with their confused eyes.

"What is it?" Suigetsu asked.

"I...I was there, sitting next to you guys at Ichiraku's Ramen Shop." She reminded them.

"Yeah so?" Suigetsu quirked his brows emphatically.

Sakura took a deep breath and looked at the two rogue shinobis standing before her. It is dangerous, very dangerous to talk to them so directly about anything but she has no other choice. From the inside, her whole form is shaking in fear but on the outside, she is just breathing raggedly. If she succeeds then everyone in the FoK will be extremely delighted because of the loss of one big burden from their heads. But everything depends on her conversation with these two acquaintances of Sasuke. She must choose every word very cautiously. _Go on Sakura! This is it!_

"The girl you were talking about...I know her." She admitted, plastering one of the most serious expressions on her face.

A long pause followed her confession to the two men. Neither of them uttered a word to her. Instead they stared at her without any twitching of their eyes. After what felt like eternity, they exchanged a nod and turned back to her.

Suigetsu swung his huge sword and placed it's paper thin, sharp edge at Sakura's neck. She gasped in fear, wondering what did she do to offend them after having chosen the most appropriate words.

"If this is some kind of sick joke then I'll give you a chance to apologise." Suigetsu hissed.

Sakura's eyes widened, "What?! No! This is definitely not a joke." She shook her head, making the sharp blade faintly graze the skin on her neck. "I really do know about her whereabouts..but this is.." she took a deep breath, "this a very confidential information and I will only reveal about this to your leader."

The blade on her neck pushed harder at her skin, breaking it so that a small trail of blood began cascading down her throat.

"I'm not lying, I swear on my life!" She yelled harshly.

The blade was removed from her neck as she was pulled roughly into the arms of the mist ninja. He took her left hand's palm in his own right hand's palm and whispered threateningly in her ear, "If I find out about you feeding lies to us, then I'll cut every single finger of your palm, one-by-one. Do you understand?" He traced each one of her dainty fingers with his calloused thumb as he spoke the threat.

She licked her lips in anxiety and shakily nodded her head, "Yes! Yes I do."  
Suigetsu grinned evilly at her reply and let go of her frail form. He himself gave a nod to Juugo and then started dragging Sakura towards their destination- The Uchiha Compounds.

* * *

Sasuke is sure that he had declared to Madara about finding the woman of his choice by tonight. However, his words were only spoken to keep his arrogant pride alive. He never expected his announcement to turn into a reality. So when his ex-teammates from Taka came back with the news that a certain woman wishes to speak with him in the case of the person he's been itching to see again, he was shell-shocked. He glared at the two guys who were awaiting his next orders patiently.

"Are you trying to trick me?!" He shouted.

Before Suigetsu could use his sword-sharp tongue to speak words of equal magnitude to that of Sasuke's, Juugo intervened. He stopped the mist swordsman and took a step forward to stand face-to-face with the young Uchiha Prodigy.

"Sasuke we aren't lying about this. That woman is desperately waiting to tell you about the pink-haired girl you'd asked us to look for." Juugo explained.

Sasuke glared at them again but then sat down on his couch. Only two words were uttered from his lips and that too in a commanding tone, "Bring her."

* * *

Sakura stood up from the porch when the two rogue ninjas approached her. She was forcefully pulled inside the huge Uchiha Mansion by a very pissed Suigetsu. She wondered what had happened with him while she was waiting here outside. She also pondered about what will happen to _her_ now that she has been taken in. Juugo clicked open a door that probably led into the living room and entered. She had no other choice but to follow because of the former mist nin's vice-like grip on her wrist.

The minute she stepped inside the room, she realised that it was dimly lit, making only a few features noticeable in the room. She looked around and spotted a silhouetted figure sitting atop the couch. _Sasuke_ , she can recognise him anytime and anywhere just by his spiky hairstyle. One could only feel his presence as not even a single part of his skin was visible in the darkness of the room.

"We brought her." Suigetsu said.

Sasuke didnot respond to his Taka teammate's words. Instead he assessed the three of them silently. His interest suddenly piqued when his Sharingan finished examining the dark-haired woman who had come along to see him.

"Is it true that you are looking for Sakura Haruno?" The woman asked, trying her best to sound professional.

"Yes. Yes I am." He answered with hints of mockery in his tone.

"I can...I can give you her location. But only if-"

She stopped speaking when she felt the shuffling of his feet. He vacated his spot on the couch and walked towards her. His steps came to a halt when he was standing inches away from her.

He tilted his head down to look at her and asked, "If what?"

Her breathing hitched and she stumbled back to put some distance between him and herself. Her voice stuttered as she answered, "I-I-I want you-I want you to do something for me in exchange-for her location"

In two short steps, he breached the gap that she had created between them. He again tilted his head down at her and with a smug smirk stretching across his lips, he spoke, "What do you want, _Sa-ku-ra_ ?"

* * *

 **A/N: _So this is where this chapter ends. Hehe XD Sasuke knew it was her._**

 ** _What do you think about this chapter?_**

 ** _I'd be glad if you comment your views._**

 ** _Hope it was worth the wait...:)_**

 ** _~Manika_**


	6. -:Relentless Hope:-

**Posted on: 11/01/17**

 ** _A/N: Here's a quick update because I'll be really busy in the coming days._**

 ** _And since I can't respond to the guest reviews:-_**

 **Guest: Thanks i like the brave and strong sakura so much**

 **Me: Thank you. I hope you keep enjoying this tale...:)**

 **Guest: great chapter!**

 **Me: Thanks :D**

 **elizdolly: Its great please update soon -**

 **Me: Thank you so much for supporting the book...:)**

 **Guest: Ahhhhh! Please update soon**

 **Me: Thank you for reading. Here's your update! :D**

* * *

 ** _"Bowing before despair_**

 ** _is way too easy._**

 ** _But rebelling with hope  
_**

 ** _is much more difficult."_**

 ** _-Tenten_**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Relentless Hope**

* * *

Ino sighed tiredly when she felt no living presence inside the room. Scanning all the four directions for one last time, she jumped out of the only window in Sakura's Hospital Office. She used her chakra to balance her feet on the vertical wall and ran down, landing with a thud on the stone sidewalk of the village. Her face saddened at not being able to find her childhood best friend. _Why did you leave?_ She thought to herself.

The minute Ino realised that Sakura was gone, she closed her parent's flower shop and started looking for her extremely vulnerable friend. She checked Sakura's small apartment, her favourite drinking bar, her hospital room. Heck! She even went as far as to check for Sakura's presence at the Hyuga Compounds but no, she did not find her in any of these places. For a split second, the thought of asking Sakura's parents popped in her head but she pushed it away when she recalled that in Mr. and Mrs. Haruno's eyes, Sakura is a missing ninja. Another thought entered suggestively in her mind. A very terrifying thought to be specific- what if Sakura accidentally bumped-into Suigetsu and Juugo and got forcefully dragged to Sasuke's Place? _No, that won't happen._ Ino shook those bad thoughts aside. _Sakura is strong enough to handle two rogue shinobi, right?_ She wondered.

"Hey" a soft voice called from behind and she pounced at the speaker in fright.

"You!" She yelled at the person but stopped when she realised who it was.

A blush crept on Ino's face when she saw a completely surprised Sai's lean-muscular built pinned beneath her slender frame. She heard the voice and took it to be one of those damned rogue ninjas, so she attacked. But on seeing Sai right below her form, she felt the mortification of her stupid blunder. When she looked down at him, she saw the appearance of a faint blush across his cheeks as well. They kept staring at each-other when all of a sudden she heard some giggling voices. Both of them turned their heads towards their left and saw a group of pre-teens staring at them with a knowing look, which made them realise that they were in a really awkward position in a public place.

Immediately Ino pulled herself up and away from Sai and he stood up. They both started dusting-off fake dirt from their clothes to distract their minds and heard the teens giggle even more.

"Eh_hem!" Ino coughed and asked Sai, "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, "I am an anbu. I have been assigned to scout these parts. I was just doing my job when I saw you. So I thought I might as well say _Hi_."

"By the way, you seem to be...worried." Sai spoke, comparing Ino's frown to one such similar expression in a book of Human Body Language.

When Ino didn't answer, he asked directly, "What _is_ worrying you?"

She hesitated at first but then answered truthfully, "It's Sakura. She was there with me at the shop when Suigetsu and Juugo entered it. So I send her inside to the kitchen but she escaped from there through the window. And now she is missing. I didn't find her in any of her usual places. And I know I shouldn't assume it this way but what if..." She started sobbing.

Sai's white complexion paled if that is even possible. He did not enjoy the sight of a sobbing Ino. He thought about all the books about Human Behaviour that he has read until now and tried to search for a proper method to stop her weeping. But before he could even come up with any good ideas, Ino buried her face in his black, t-shirt clad chest and wound her arms around his neck. For reasons unknown, he felt no surprise by her act and slowly but tenderly encircled her in an embrace, pulling her body closer to his own. Not only did this hug seem like a nice option but it felt good too. He has seen Sakura do the same many times for her scared patients. Wait! Sakura!

The thought of his pink-haired teammate made him glance down at the weeping woman in his arms. He recalled her words, _I didn't find her in any of her usual places. And I know I shouldn't assume it this way but what if..._

He looked around the place, _What if those rogue goons actually managed to capture her and are now keeping her confined inside the Hokage Tower?_

He shook his head in an effort to push the disturbing thought out of his mind and started stroking the blonde female who continued sobbing in his chest, wetting his t-shirt with her fresh tears.

"Alright, let me help you in your search for Ugly." He said and felt her nod shakily in a response.

* * *

"The weather is beautiful, isn't it?"

Tenten has stated this same fact for the umpteenth time this evening and interestingly, the answer to her question also remains the same everytime the listener decides to answer her.

She threw another punch at the tall man who has been blocking her attacks for two hours now even though defense isn't his style. Gritting her teeth in irritation, she tried landing a few more sequential kicks at her sparring partner just to pull him out of his defensive posture. Yet the man easily dodged all her blows and she groaned. Everytime they train together, the man turns out to be the victor but today, something isn't right with him.

"What is your problem, Neji?!" She finally yelled at him.

The long haired man sighed at her whiny behaviour before answering, "Its just...nothing, Tenten."

The girl huffed again, as she tightened the ribbons holding her buns and thought for a way to cheer-up her moody teammate. She knows the reason behind his distant behaviour. Everyone does. It's the clan annihilation that is bugging Neji to no end. Ofcourse, it is a very pressing matter as no one wants to see their own kin die before their eyes when they can actually stop it from happening. _You better bring Hinata with you, Sakura._ She mentally warned the pink haired medic.

"I'm sure we'll come-up with something good." Tenten smiled softly.

Neji quirked up his brows at her to which she elaborated, "I mean _we_ , the members of FoK? We will come up with something to tackle the Uchihas' plot..."

His body language remained as stiff as before. Her words did no help in cheering the guy's mood so Tenten started thinking about another way to lighten him up. And although jokes aren't Neji's thing, she still tried , "You know..we can just go to the Uchihas and talk them into terminating their plot. Hehe.." She grinned jokingly, hoping that it will make Neji smile just a bit but it didnot.

He dropped his fighting stance and for the briefest of a second, she witnessed a hint of something akin to interest in his pale irises. No, maybe she is just hallucinating because of this beautifully cool weather. Yes! It must be the weather, for nothing she says will ever change Neji's sullen mood. But she keeps hoping that someday this Hyuga Prodigy will understand...understand that she cares and will reciprocate her feelings. She always hopes...

From the corner of her eyes, she saw him picking-up his scarcely used shurikens and kunais. Unlike her, who holds an expertise in weapon combat and completely relies on them, he uses his powerful kekkai genkai to strike at the opponents. But why exactly is he packing-up? They still have a few hours before the meeting begins. She looked questioningly at him and he turned away from her so that she couldn't see the serious expression on his face.

In a solemn tone, he spoke, "There is something that I need to do before today's meeting. I'll see you at the HQ."

With that said, he left her all by herself in their secluded training grounds. And even if his failure at noticing her emotions is killing her, she will keep on hoping...

.

Strolling down the streets of Konoha, Tenten felt bored and decided to pay more attention to her surroundings in an effort to exercise and improve her sighting skills. It helped in relaxing her mind by distracting her from her troubled thoughts regarding Neji Hyuga. She even started noticing things that she may have missed-out in the past two months spent in her home village. She saw that the place isn't as lively as it used to be. Maybe because as soon as Madara took over Konohagakure, the civilians became more and more reserved. Fear can be counted as one of the major reasons for this behavioural change, followed by selfishness and despair.

All of a sudden, a sense of duty gripped her and she wondered if the FoK will be able to return this village and the whole shinobi world to it's old peaceful self. They should, no..they must try their best for the sake of the coming generations even if this means dying in the process for an important cause. Then atleast the younger generation will gossip about their Rebellion in the form of a heroic tale of ninjas.

She smiled at that thought and closed her eyes to take in a breath of the cool wind swirling around the streets. When she opened them back, she found two familiar faces on the sidewalk. Their facial expressions looked very serious as if they were busy on an A-ranked mission.

She waved at the two to gain their attention, "Hey! Sai! Ino!"

The said duo immediately jumped, probably in fright. Tenten was waving her arms excitedly at them from the opposite side of the road while they tried their best to act as if they hadn't noticed her. It's the best for them because if the weaponry expert asks them about their walk and manages to find out that Sakura is missing then she will undoubtedly report this to their group's leader. And it is not going to be a good idea because they themselves aren't sure about the pinkette's case. What if she's hiding somewhere because she wants to spend some time alone before the beginning of the meeting? What if they are just fretting over nothing too important? They need to lie to the brunette approaching them in swift steps.

"Hi Panda" Sai greeted her.

She glared at him for the use of such a stupid nickname for her but returned the greeting nonetheless, "Hi you two. What's up?"

They blew out breaths of relief at hearing her vague query and Ino answered for the two of them, "Ah it's nothing. We're just loitering around."

Tenten smiled politely at the two and spoke, "Me too. Kinda bored, right?" She giggled, "Well, see you at the meeting then."

The brunette turned around to leave them but before Sai could get away with Ino, Tenten realised something. _Isn't Ino supposed to guard Sakura?_ She asked herself then looked back at them with questioning eyes.

"Where's Sakura?" She asked.

She saw how both Sai and Ino's muscles stiffened instantly. Their eyes expressed their desperation to escape her question and so, she walked back to them. Ino's breathing quickened and as emotionless as Sai maybe, Tenten sensed a sheer presence of fear in his form as well. _What are they hiding?_

Ino was so scared that she stuttered while trying to speak. No excuses formed in her brain to get Sai and herself out of this suspicious situation. Shakily, she tilted her head-up at the guy who was still holding her by the waist, silently requesting him to handle the matter. Tenten's eyes too landed on Sai's face when Ino looked-up at him. Ino saw a flicker in the brown-haired girl's irises- a flicker of unobscured jealousy.

"Sakura" Sai began slowly, trying to form some kind of good excuse in his head, "She is...at Hinata's house. Just as she had promised at our group's previous meeting."

"Oh" was all that the dual-bunned girl uttered before leaving the pair to themselves.

Immediately both Sai and Ino scurried away without even caring about letting out a breath of relief. However, they failed to notice the tomboyish girl who hadn't left but was still watching them from afar. She sucked in the cool air, trying to pull her mind away from the jealous thoughts forming in her head regarding the pair that had just left. She even lost the sense of all suspicions that had developed in her head and let them be. Right now all that she needs, is a long hot bath and a steaming cup of tea to divert her mind from her heart-rending feelings.

Some day...he will understand and then they will... She smiled sadly at her lovelorn condition and yet again vowed to keep on hoping...

* * *

Suigetsu was surprised when a random girl came running towards him and Juugo, admitting that she knew about the woman of Sasuke's interest. He threatened the girl to check if she was bluffing but when she confidently stated that she wasn't, he blindly accepted her statement and took her to their boss. Doubt was still lingering in his mind yet he tried his best at hiding all traces of fear in his form as he presented the dark-haired woman to his brooding leader.

From there onwards, the girl started conversing with the youngest Uchiha and Suigetsu's shaking body started relaxing. For a moment he felt that maybe this girl will save them the trouble of going on this search mission again and again but when he saw Sasuke vacating his couch, he moved backwards, involuntarily pulling Juugo along with him. His instincts told him that something scary is about to happen and he felt the ramen in his belly rising up towards his alimentary canal. Gravely, he realised that his intuition had been right when the youngest Uchiha inched dangerously close to the girl and addressed her by a name.

Sakura. He heard Sasuke call her by that exact name. But unmistakably, Sakura is the girl that he and Juugo were asked to look for. So why is Sasuke addressing this ordinary black-haired lady by the same name? He noticed that she was just as confused and scared as he was but he didn't dare interfere in their conversation. Instead, he waited patiently for the girl's response.

* * *

In two short steps, he breached the gap that she had created between them. With his head tilted down at her and a smug smirk stretching across his lips, he spoke, "What do you want, _Sa-ku-ra_?"

A shiver ran down her spine when she felt his husky tone tickle her cheeks. Sakura thought that finally all her cards have been laid right and that she will be able to do the best thing for everyone. But no...she was wrong. She should've known it. Sasuke recognised that it was her the minute she entered into this dark room. How can she forget the fact that Sasuke is one of the strongest Sharingan users amongst the few living Uchihas?

Her mind pushed her to speak yet her tongue betrayed her and allowed no words to leave her quivering lips. She was beyond scared to even describe the stature of her heart. It wasn't beating anymore but hammering inside her chest. Trying to remain nonplussed by his manner of calling her name, she moved her lips to begin talking again, "What are you saying? I-I will give you the location of Sakura Haruno only after you grant approval to my request."

It seems like her choice of words excited him somewhat as the smirk on his lips stretched even more, slightly revealing his oh-so perfectly white teeth. She took a step back and felt the other two guys in the room do the same. They too had sensed the sudden spike in the Uchiha Prodigy's chakra. As if her action had offended him somehow, he stepped closer to her small frame again and looked amusedly at her.

He brought his face down to her level and whispered menacingly in her ear, "Tch-Tch-Tch...you were never good at lying...to me."

With one whirling motion of the tomoes in his sharingan, Sakura's henge disappeared. She gasped at being caught so easily and stumbled backwards until her back hit the door. Fear struck her form when she realised that both Suigetsu and Juugo had left her all alone with her former team's ex-teammate and that too with the door being locked from outside. Her eyes averted to look anywhere but at the man that she still holds so dear to her heart.

From the small distance between them, Sasuke took in the appearance of his ex-teammate. Her mane of pink hair was longer, covering the tops of her sleek shoulders while the beryl emerald of her irises was still the same mesmerizing type as it had been in the past. The combination of her perky bosom and slender waist along with the ample back gave her a mature sort of look. She bit on her luscious bottom lip and kept turning her head to look every which way she could to avoid meeting his scrutinizing gaze. He will never admit it in words but any man of his age will find her attractive; no, beautiful is a more appropriate word to describe her features. Yes...she looks beautiful, beautifully scared. And beautifully scared of him. For some unknown reason, he didn't like that she was afraid of him. If anything, he had expected her to crush him with one of her strangling embraces but she did not. _Why?_ He asked himself and walked towards her pale form.

"Sss-Sasu..." She took in gulps of air to calm herself. _Damn it! I am still not able to take his name!_ She thought.

Now only inches away from her, he tried his best to ignore her scared expression and repeated his question, "What do you want, Sakura?"

She shook her head, mentally slapping herself for being scared. She shouldn't even be intimidated by his presence and yet here she is, supporting her shaking body by a door, trying to calm her erratic pumping of the heart. _He's not the old Sasuke. Stop shaking!_ She scolded herself and tried to straighten-up her form.

"Uchiha" she mustered the most strong tone that she could and tried speaking fluently, "I would like to ask a favour from you."

He snickered sarcastically at the way she addressed him, "Uchiha? What happened to _Sasuke-kun_?"

That old manner of addressing brought back some cherished memories from her past and angered her. Though she is glad with this anger as it will be very helpful while talking to him. It will provide her with the confidence that she always loses around him all because she holds feelings for him. Falling for him was her biggest mistake- a mistaken emotion that she can neither erase nor get rid of. She loves him and it will always be like this, whether she likes it or not.

Glaring fiercely at him for making her fall in love with him, she spat out her anger, "Sasuke-kun?!" Finally, she is able to take his name, even if only in her angered state.

"Sasuke-kun is dead!" She shouted right at his proud face.

He was slightly taken-aback by her answer. Never had he expected her to shout at him like this. Hell! She didn't talk like this when he tried to kill her. At that time she had merely cried because she was so badly in love with him (Atleast this is how he perceived the scenario). But this, this anger she has shown towards him is a very foreign expression. It is still unbelievable for him to visualise Sakura angry at him. Guess time can change everything.

He smirked lopsidedly and asked, "Then what about this?", referring to his own self.

The response came immediately, "You are not Sasuke-kun!"

He smirked again. No matter how harsh she is, Sasuke is sort of enjoying this new Sakura. The old Sakura would've meekly succumbed to his words but not this changed one. She is more than ready to face him head on even though she knows that she is no match for him. This confidence is just another advantageous addition to her already beautiful personality.

"Whatever..but what is it that brought you to me?" He asked, changing the subject.

She understood his trick immediately. He is trying to maintain peace so that their conversation doesn't turn into a heated argument. But if she won't feel anger towards him then she won't be able to converse confidently with him. _Focus, Sakura! We can do this!_ She tried to boost herself.

"Is-is it true that you guys are secretly planning on wiping-out the entire remaining Hyuga Clan?" She asked, her eyes unable to meet his.

"Yes" he answered truthfully.

"I want you to abort this mission." She whispered meekly, wondering if he'll try to hit her for making such a bold and direct request.

"Is this what you want?" He asked inching closer to her.

"Yesss.." She admitted and he felt the desperation in her tone.

"Do you know why I ordered my minions to search for you?" He asked even though he knew she doesn't know the answer to this one.

Her response was the slow shake of her head. No she has absolutely no idea about his actions. But that's only because he is always so...whimsical. He does everything on a whim.

"I was seeking you for a purpose, Sakura. If you agree to my agenda then I'll gladly grant your wish." He explained.

"Yes I agree!" She spoke instantly.

He scoffed, "So desperate. Do you even know what I want?"

"No I don't." She felt her confidence seeping back into her body and she felt energized because of it, "I don't know about your motifs but I'll do it. If this is what it takes to save an entire clan."

He pushed himself away from her and spoke, "I want your help in restoring my prestigious clan to it's old glory."

He couldn't help the smirk from stretching across his lips when he saw her grim expression. And she realised that it wasn't a proposal but a direct command from the great grandson of the current Hokage as he voiced his order.

"Marry me, Sakura."

* * *

 ** _A/N: So this is the end of chapter 6 of ACaR._**

 ** _I admit that not much has happened in this one. And I agree that it is shorter than the previous chapters but my exams are gonna begin from 20th of May and I have to study. So I guess the next update will be quite late. But I promise to make it worth the wait just for you lovely readers._**

 ** _So, what do you think about Sasuke's commanding proposal of marriage? 😉_**

 ** _Please Review and Share with your friends if you are enjoying this story._**

 ** _~Manika 🌸_**


	7. -:A Selfless Deal:-

**Posted on: 14/01/17**

 **A/N: Hi there!**

 **I found some time, so here's an update! :D**

 **Before that** **Guest and Waterlilly333 , thank you for reviewing. I'm sorry I'm unable to respond to guest reviews...**

 **So, here's the 7th chappie of ACaR:-**

* * *

 ** _"Every one of us must  
do what's in their power!  
Even if it means...  
..becoming selfless..."  
-Sakura Haruno_**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: A Selfless Deal**

* * *

"Marry me, Sakura."

It is unfathomable how burdened Sakura felt just by hearing that proposal of two words from the man she loves so deeply. The impact was like the sting of a million senbons. All her life she had imagined hearing these words from him in varied and vivid romantic ways. But this reality is nothing like she had envisioned in her dreams. This sounds more like a painful nightmare. Just to make sure that she wasn't in a state of sleep, she closed her eyes and bit her own tongue. When she opened them back, her emerald gaze was captured by his onyx one. The sharingan was gone.

"W-w-wh-at?!" She stuttered-out in fear, her eyes widening.

The dark-haired guy before her passed a hand through his ebony locks and sighed. For a brief moment, she noticed something close to guilt in his eyes which was immediately masked by another one of his usual blank stares. He kept staring at her, thinking on the exact words that he needed to use to keep her from losing her sanity. He moved a few steps back as if it would help her in processing his command.

"You heard me loud and clear. This is what I want from you." He said.

She shook her head frantically and pressed herself further into the door to stay as far away from him as possible. The prospect of her getting married to Sasuke looks completely unreal. If anything, this proposal appears like some sort of peace treaty. And the minute she signs it, her whole life will be tied to this dark man of her dreams. _No! This just cannot be true. This must be some kind of a bad dream. A nightmare._

"Think rationally, Sakura. If you do this..if you marry me, I will grant your wish." He tried to coax her.

She shut her eyes and hugged her small frame tightly. The Hyuga Clan is on the verge of its elimination at the hands of some anbu who work for the Hokage. This matter is so hard to handle that not even the members of FoK could come up with any ideas other than a well-planned coup d'état. But here she is, plainly requesting her ex-teammate to terminate this plot and he approves willingly in exchange for her own hand in marriage. If she accepts, then she will be able to save an entire clan from being exterminated. But if she declines, then the FoK will have to carry-out with their plan of secret attack without any aid from the members of their group who are currently in different villages. And even if she somehow manages to convince Hinata to help them out then too their chances of victory will be very slim. Afterall, the Uchiha have an army while they are only a small group consisting of 15-25 members. There is just no way to defeat the Uchiha government at such a low number of members.

Saying _yes_ to Sasuke's proposal is the only way to win this battle. But once she marries him...what will happen with her life? How will she be treated by him? Moreover, how will her friends treat her? First of all, they won't really approve of this method. But if she doesn't tell them anything about this sudden meeting with Sasuke and keeps it to herself until the whole deal gets revealed by itself then they won't really be too hurt. Yes! Hiding this deal is the best option.

Sakura took a long breath before uttering out her response but right as she opened her mouth to speak, she heard the noises of harsh banging at the very door that she was supporting her body on. She turned around to face the door and looked questioningly at it, wondering about who might be interested in paying a visit to someone as temperamental as Sasuke. The banging continued and Sakura mentally saluted the person for daring to bang on Sasuke's door. She waited to see whether Sasuke would open it or let the person at the other end suffer in anger. But Sasuke made no move to check on the visitor and so, she kept facing away from him.

"Say it, Sakura. Say it..because deep down...", he paused to shift from his previous position and stand right behind her, whispering in her ear, "you know you want this too.. Say it because it's the only way by which you can save that clan."

She gulped and motioned her lips to speak. At that very instant, the door burst open and Sasuke moved just in time to save Sakura from getting hurt by it's strong impact. Both of them looked-up and to their surprise, found an extremely furious Neji Hyuga glaring at the Uchiha Prodigy, most probably because of his proximity to the pink-haired kunoichi. Sasuke smirked, tightening his grip on the pinkette's waist and looked smugly at the Hyuga.

Suigetsu stomped in next, followed by an apologetically smiling Juugo. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I tried stopping him but he kept arguing! And what's more?! Juugo allowed him to enter!" Suigetsu yelled.

Juugo bowed his head down at his master as he spoke, "I'm sorry, Sasuke but this guy heard most of your conversation with Haruno-san and was very concerned about her response. I just couldn't stop him."

Sakura blinked her eyes and stared at the fiery-haired guy. The manner of this man's talking is nothing like that of a cruel person working under Sasuke. He is more of a gentle person who must be on the good side. But why is he serving Sasuke like some blind devotee?! He actually allowed Neji to walk in just because he was concerned and...wait?! Neji! Shock settled in her form when she realised about Juugo's previous words that the Hyuga has heard mostly everything about her conversation with Sasuke. She looked worriedly at Neji as he began walking in her direction. Immediately, Sasuke removed his hand from her waist and stood before her, trying to create a barrier between her and the Hyuga.

"Move aside, Uchiha! I don't want to kill you!" Neji shouted which was nothing like his composed stature.

Sasuke remained impassive and spoke, "Not until she answers my question."

Neji's glare intensified and he peeked at Sakura, "Don't Sakura! Don't accept this proposal! He is merely toying with you."

Sasuke scoffed and spoke without turning to face her, "I'm an Uchiha. And Uchihas are known for keeping their word. I will grant your wish. Think rationally, Sakura."

Sakura kept switching her eyes back and forth from Neji to Sasuke. What should she do? Her answer to Sasuke's proposal will decide the fate of a complete clan. But most importantly, it will decide the fate of the rest of her life. So then, Clan or Life? What should she choose? Yes or No? What should she say? Truthfully thinking, she needs to end being selfish and begin acting logically for a greater cause. If she accepts this proposal, she will be able to save numerous lives without any bloodshed. She must do the needful for everyone's sake. Even if it means..becoming Selfless...

She turned towards Sasuke and with a heavy sigh, answered, "I accept your proposal..Uchiha-san."

Sasuke smirked on hearing that reply but was slightly disconcerted because of the way she addressed him by his surname. Neji on the contrary, was struck by a fear so strong that he wasn't even able to speak. She lowered her head so as to keep her expression hidden from the two men looking at her with different types of emotions in their eyes. Suddenly she wondered if she made the right choice by giving a positive response to the youngest Uchiha. Slowly she tilted her head up to smile sadly at Neji, whose eyes widened in disbelief and he shook his head as if she has somehow betrayed him.

Sakura scoffed. She hasn't betrayed anyone like Sasuke did. She has only made things easier for him, for Hinata and for every other member of the Hyuga Clan. Now the FoK won't need to worry about the clan anymore and they'll be able to work much more properly on their rebellion.

"Lets go, Neji. I did my job here." She whispered and started moving.

A palm wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back to stop her motion. She turned her head to look warily at Sasuke.

"Since you have actually agreed to my proposal, you must know that this is going to be the last night you spend with your friends and family members. From tomorrow morning you'll be at my side and that disguise of yours will be discarded without any complaints." Sasuke ordered.

She giggled sarcastically at that, "My parents already consider me a lost girl."

"I don't care about that but from tomorrow onwards," he smirked, "you're an _Uchiha_."

* * *

She stormed out of the regal Uchiha Mansion as fast as she could and started scurrying towards the FoK's Head Quarters. Sparing one last glare to the evilly smirking Uchiha, Neji walked out as well, fast enough to catch-up to her pace. He reached her and began walking next to her, trying to grab her attention but she kept ignoring him. And as he sighed in frustration, she scoffed.

"Sakura I-"

She shook her head and cut him off, "What were you even doing there?!"

"I can ask the same to you." He stated seriously.

"You know why I was there! Those men were searching for me and I...I have a strong suspicion that each one of you already knew about this.." She spoke bitterly.

Neji lowered his head, feeling uncomfortable by her accurate suspicion. He wondered briefly about what would have been the outcome if they had told about this whole thing to Sakura in the first place. Maybe she herself would've tried to remain hidden from Sasuke's sycophants. Maybe she wouldn't have had to make such a terrifying deal with the Uchiha in exchange for the life of his clansmen. Maybe they would've easily tackled this whole situation from a different point of view. If...if only she had known. But _he_ knew and even after that, even after being able to hear about the whole pact, he couldn't protect her from the Uchiha Prodigy's clutches. He felt ashamed at being so...useless.

"I am sorry..." He began with an apology and went on, "I thought...that if maybe I tried speaking about this annihilation to our ex-comrade...Sasuke..then maybe..maybe everything would've been settled without any coup d'états..without any battles...without any bloodshed..but..."

"..but I beat you to it." She finished for him and snickered eerily.

He fidgeted uneasily with his haori and spoke, "I am sorry I couldn't save you from his pact."

"What are you saying? I am the one who has chosen to be with him." She smiled sadly.

The mention of that pact reminded her about how quickly she had agreed to Sasuke's deal for the sake of Neji's clan. She just hopes that Sasuke will not disappoint her and will stick to his words. But then, she also reminded herself that these are going to be the last few hours of her life which will be spent in the comforting presence of her friends. Tomorrow morning, as soon as the sun reaches above the horizon, she will have to give herself to the only man that she will ever love... She will have to devote her mind and body to him as her heart already belongs to him...

"Neji...I want this deal to remain a secret shared between only the two of us. I don't want you to tell anyone." She ordered him softly.

Although he felt his mind disagreeing with her request, he knew that she was right. If they tell about this deal to the others then just like him, all the members of their rebel group will feel guilty. So, it is best to keep it a secret from them. Nodding his head once, he responded, "Okay"

A selfless deal...a selfless deal, is what she has made with him. She has willingly sacrificed her very own life in exchange for hundreds of innocent lives. Indeed, it is a selfless deal...

* * *

There was a tense sort of silence in the room with all the members lost in their own world of thoughts. The meeting should've begun twenty minutes ago but thanks to two members for not showing up and disrupting the whole process. Everyone was waiting. Some were patient while others were extremely irritated. Their leader stood up from his position in the middle of the small circle that they had formed and scanned each of their faces with a bored gaze. His eyes stopped when they landed on a pair of baby-blue irises and he arched one of his brows at the person in his line of sight. The girl in question flinched slightly and herself stood up. With an oblivious expression on her face, she waited for whatever he wanted to ask her about.

"Where is she? She was supposed to be under your watchful eyes." He stated.

She nearly jumped on hearing that question. She wanted to answer his query so badly but honestly, she herself had no clue about her whereabouts. Even Sai had helped her in looking for their pink-haired friend but unfortunately, they found her nowhere. So they decided to let their friend be and headed towards the HQ of FoK for the meeting. Now twenty-five minutes have already passed but she is not here. Ino wondered if somehow those two rogue-nins managed to catch her and that now she is being held captive. She immediately shook that possibility away. _No that can't be it._

As she looked-up at their leader who was awaiting her response, she started thinking about the best excuse to cover up for Sakura's absence. Her heart tried to stop her from lying when her trembling lips began to reply.

"She..."

"She's at Hinata's." Ino jerked her head to the side to face Tenten who had replied to their leader's question in her place.

Darui also glanced at the dual-bunned girl and marched towards her.

"What?" He asked.

"Yes! I met Ino and Sai in the streets today. So I asked them about Sakura and they told me that she has gone to talk to Hinata." Tenten explained genuinely.

Darui's senses alerted on hearing the answer from Tenten instead of Ino. He also noticed the way in which Ino sighed, feeling relief when Tenten replied for her and the manner in which Sai's tense muscles slowly relaxed. This whole situation doesn't feel right. It is almost as if the three of them are trying to hide something from him.

He kept his nonchalant expression and asked, "And...where's Neji?"

At that, the chocolate-brown eyed kunoichi's face fell. She averted her gaze towards the floor and sighed in what Darui assumed to be frustration.

"Where is he?" He questioned in a louder voice.

Tenten took in a long breath, recalling Neji's last words to her before he left. _There is something that I need to do before today's meeting. I'll see you at the HQ._ If this is something that Neji can't even share with her then it simply should not be shared with the FoK. She continued staring down at her feet as she spoke, "I haven't seen him since the last few days...so I can't say anything about his whereabouts."

"Oookayy.." Darui nodded his head and once again occupied his seat on the vacant stool in the centre of the group.

It is obvious that the three of them are trying to cover-up for the two missing members of their group but for what reason, no one knows. No one has the slightest idea. But why do they need to hide something from him in the first place? Has something happened to the pink-haired kunoichi in question? Has she been captured by those two nins and these three aren't telling him only because of the reprimands that they will have to hear because of it? No, that cannot be the case because had something like that happened, then they wouldn't have been this calm and collected. They would've been in a state of more than just panic. The best way to gain any answers is to sit and wait patiently. And that is exactly what he did.

* * *

It took them twenty-five minutes to reach the Nara Clan's private grounds and five more to evade the Anbu guarding the surroundings and reach their underground headquarters. They are half an hour late for the meeting which simply means that the other member of FoK are probably wondering about their absence by now. Neji gave three knocks to the door concealed within the stone wall and both of them waited. Tapping of the feet could be heard from behind the door signifying that someone was on the way to answering their knock.

As the door clicked-open, a grim-looking Shino nodded at the two and allowed them to enter. Upon walking inside, they tried their best at avoiding all the questioning glances that were flashed their way and decided to get seated on some vacant stools. Sakura felt somewhat relaxed because all the members were _only_ staring at her. None of them bombarded her or Neji with any type of interrogation. She sat down next to Lee and cursed her thoughts as it is right at this moment that Samui began snickering.

"Took you long enough." The cloud kunoichi commented in between her snickers.

Sakura wanted to avoid all the snide remarks thrown at her but then she recalled the deadlock that she had made with Sasuke thirty minutes ago and changed her plans. Since this is the last night that she will be spending amongst the members of this rebelling group, she doesn't want to hold back. She wants to atleast speak her mind in these final hours and thus, she will. She smirked at Samui but before she could say something to the pale-yellow haired woman, their group leader piped-in.

"Where were you two?" Darui asked.

Hearing that made Sakura's skin turn pale and she quickly glanced at Neji, who himself was looking at her for an answer. The pinkette put-on the most earnest look on her irises and stared at Neji, wordlessly requesting him not to utter a thing about her deal with Sasuke. Neji's concerned look immediately converted into one angry gaze. He slightly shook his head but Sakura nodded, willing him to say no words about the Uchiha. He glared at her, expecting that she would give in but she did not. He continued glaring at her pleading green eyes and it took everything in him to stop himself from blurting out the truth. And as he opened his mouth to answer their leader's question, Sakura did too.

"I was at the Hyuga Compounds!" Both of them yelled in unison.

A series of gasps and shocked-looks were thrown at them by their friends. But it's not like they are doing something wrong by expressing their shock. Both Sakura and Neji were shocked too when they spoke at the same time and with the same answer. Darui cleared his throat to call for everyone's attention and then asked the two of them.

"Okay, Sakura. I understand that you were at the Hyuga Compounds to converse with Hinata." he nodded to her and turned his head towards Neji, "But what were _you_ doing there?"

Neji sensed the suspicion that was currently surrounding his form and began thinking of the best excuse to get out of this vulnerable situation that he has created not only for himself but for Sakura as well. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and again wondered if he should just drop the cover and tell everything about Sakura's meeting with the youngest Uchiha to his leader. Since Sakura doesn't approve of it, it is very much clear that she will not forgive him if he does tell everyone after making a promise to her. Okay let's just assume that he tells everyone, then how will they take this scenario? Will they praise Sakura for her selfless but strong decision? Or will they try to convince her into breaking her deal with the Uchiha Prodigy? Or worst case, will they bash him for not being able to stop her from making the pact? If he couldn't save her from accepting Sasuke's deal then atleast he must tell everyone about it without caring about the consequences. But he got beat at it again.

"He was there with me." Sakura spoke-up before he could spill-out anything about the truth.

Darui quirked a brow at her and asked, "Kindly elaborate."

Neji noticed how sternly Sakura nodded her head and began speaking, "Everyone knows how broken Hinata has been ever since the death of Naruto. It's hard for her to handle her emotions so..Hanabi and Neji-san were there to help me out if...if she breaks down all of a sudden."

Neji didn't know how she does it but Sakura lies so fluently that it is almost impossible for anyone to find out. The only people who will ever be able to notice are deception specialists like Ibiki Morino and Kabuto Yakushi. He saw Darui staring at her with an understanding present in his eyes. The off-white haired, former cloud village ninja approved of Sakura's fake excuse. And so did every other member of the FoK.

"So," a very solemn-looking Samui spoke from her place beside the leader, "How did it go with Hinata?"

"It worked out." Sakura answered.

But Neji answered as well, "She won't be helping us."

The shocked glances returned as everyone started murmuring about their answers. Neji cursed at his tongue for moving even when the question was posed at Sakura. He is sure that she would've handle it better than him but still he had to interfere and spoil everything. Now that he has responded to Samui's question and that too with an answer that is completely opposite to that of Sakura's, he is confident that a series of new questions will be thrown their way. But thankfully, Sakura didn't let that happen.

"What we mean to say is that Hinata would like to join our group but not right now..." Sakura explained with a tight smile on her face. Neji glanced at her then nodded quickly to their leader.

A sequence of understanding 'ohs' ensued from the member's lips. It brought relief to Neji that even after his stupid answer Sakura managed to fool all of them. Samui, who was still unsure, nodded her head when Darui did. And just like that, the cloud of suspicion surrounding them sailed away.

"So then," a bored-looking Shikamaru began, "What about our Coup d'état? We only have tomorrow left for making any useful preparations."

Darui stood-up from his stool and slid the palms of his hands inside the pockets of his black sweatpants. He looked around at each one of their faces before finally speaking, "We will begin with our coup the day after tomorrow."

"What?!" To everyone's surprise, Sakura was the one who yelled.

"Yes, Sakura," Darui answered calmly, "since Hinata won't be joining us right now, we have no other choice but to continue with our midnight attack."

The pink-haired kunoichi's head sunk as she pondered about their attack. Regarding their plan, she has the same thoughts as before- they won't be able to make it. There is just no freakin trick that they will be able to use against Madara's forces to win this battle. Most of them might even end-up dead! And Sakura doesn't want to see any of them gone forever when she has a better method to handle the situation. _Sasuke_ , she thought. She knows that it is impossible for anyone, especially her to trust a man who has betrayed them time and again but still..for some inexplicable reason, she feels that Sasuke will not break his promise.

 _I don't think you need to worry about the Hyuga Clan's Annihilation anymore._ She wanted to speak-out her thoughts clearly to everyone but she cannot. Because if she does then she will only pull that big cloud of suspicion back on herself. But she also doesn't want them to put themselves right before their deaths on a silver platter. So what should she do?

"How about Hanabi?" Kiba interrupted her thoughts.

"What about Hanabi?" Temari asked.

"You know, she is smart and strong and even stronger at heart. She can easily replace Hinata." The dog-like guy suggested while his huge pet Akamaru barked in agreement with his master's ideology.

"And make her a part of a battle which has the fifty-fifty probability for both sides?" Shikamaru questioned.

 _No Shikamaru, it's a ten-to-ninety probability._ Sakura thought sadly.

Neji wanted to yell at Kiba at the very instant that he had uttered his cousin sister's name but he restrained himselves from speaking, fearing that something suspicious might slip out of his mouth. He knows why Sakura is acting against Darui's plan. He was there when Sasuke had promised her about sparing the Hyugas' lives but he cannot bring himself to trust a traitor just like Sakura has. Though the youngest Uchiha's words might've seemed sincere, no one really knows what he is planning. He might actually be fooling her behind that poker face of his. Neji quickly glanced at Sakura and found hints of uncertainty present in her eyes as well. See? How can he possibly trust the Uchiha when she can't?!

"I agree with Shikamaru." Sakura said, "Hanabi is just too young for all this."

If an all out battle is what they want, then they can happily have it. But Sakura won't allow any pre-teens spilling blood for the sake of their clan. It is quite selfish of her to think this way but Hanabi is still young and she must not get involved with any politics of the village leaders and rebelling groups. Besides, their coup will come to a halt the minute they realise that the annihilation has been cancelled. Atleast...she thinks that it will be cancelled. Yes! Since she has sacrificed her own freedom for the whole Hyuga Clan and accepted Sasuke's proposal, she might as well put her trust into Sasuke's promise.

"I understand what Shikamaru and Sakura mean by this..." Darui spoke, "Hanabi will not be a part of this."

"Heh! Whatever." Kiba muttered.

"Okay, you guys are to meet me here tomorrow at 12 noon for the final discussion about our Coup. I will also form different squads for the upcoming battle." Darui explained.

"Dismiss" Samui ordered and everyone vacated their stools, walking out of the door in different groups.

"Kiba, Shino!" Darui called-out to the guys and they immediately walked over to him, Kiba's dog following closely behind.

"What now?!" Kiba yelled as he was still pretty much angry about no one agreeing to his idea.

Darui did not respond to him and waited patiently till everyone had exited the place. He had observed something really weird as today's meeting proceeded. Ino, Sai, Tenten and Neji were all oddly quiet throughout the whole meeting. And somehow, he knows that their strange behaviour is linked with each-other. He needs someone to keep an eye on them. Thus, he called Kiba and Shino.

"Kiba, you and Akamaru are to keep a watch over Sai and Ino. Clear?" He asked.  
Kiba was quite shocked at the sudden request but he nodded his head nonetheless.

"And Shino, you keep an eye on Neji." Unlike Kiba, Shino expressed no shock and accepted the task immediately.

"Report to me about half an hour before the meeting that is held tomorrow." Darui ordered and they left immediately after that.

Samui came-up behind him and glanced approvingly at him. If there is one thing that Darui is good at then it's detecting changes in people's behaviour. And if he thinks that there is something wrong with a few members of this group then it is his duty to keep a check on all of them. Afterall, their behaviour will affect not only them but their complete group.

"You watch all the movements of Tenten." Darui said without directly looking at her.

"Yes" Samui bowed her head and took off after the panda-look alike girl.

* * *

 ** _A/N: So this is it!_**

 ** _What do you think about Sakura's decision?_**

 ** _And what do you feel about Sasuke's behaviour?_**

 ** _Please Review and Share if you enjoyed reading this chapter._**

 ** _~Manika🌸_**


	8. -:Unveiled:-

**Posted on: 19/01/17**

 ** _A/N: Hi dear readers! Sorry...I've been pretty busy but here's an update for ya all :D_**

 ** _As for the guest reviews:-_**

 **Whale : Thank you for your kind review. Don't worry, Sakura will show Sasuke his place. Just give her some time...:)**

 **naruhina : It's almost ironic how your name is _naruhina_ and yet you are asking for more _sasusaku_ moments. Hehe XD I'll try to add some. As for more of Sasuke's P.o.V. ; Well its kinda difficult. Y'know Sasuke is even more unpredictable than Naruto so its hard to write his character. But I'll try for ya :)**

 **Well then, here's the 8th chappie of ACaR:-**

* * *

 ** _"The HARD way or the EASY way,  
I could take only one.  
So I sacrificed everything...  
..and chose him..."  
_ _-Sakura Haruno_**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Unveiled**

* * *

That night, after the meeting, Sakura took a very long, cold shower and then went to bed with the most anguished expression plastered on her face. How can she be relieved when these are going to be the last few hours of her freedom? She doesn't want to spoil them doing nothing but moping under her unusually cold bed sheets. She wants to live these last hours up to the brim, to their fullest. And so after turning and tossing for numerous times underneath the heavy duvet, she threw it away and hopped out of the bed. Pulling on a pair of green spandex shorts and a red tank top, she exited her apartment, locking it behind her.

As she walked down the streets, she made sure her henge was properly put on her form. First, she took the lane that lead to her parents' house because she was getting this sudden urge to see their faces for the last time.

She reached their house within ten minutes and quickly masked her chakra. When she felt confident enough, she jumped over the stone-built boundary and crossed the small garden that lead to the porch. Finally on reaching the main building, she scanned through the walls and just as she had expected, she found the window of her parents' bedroom wide open to let in the fresh air. Silently, she focused the minimum amount of chakra required into her feet and began climbing the wall with ease. On reaching the window, she grabbed it's panel and jumped in, landing in as quietly as possible in her combat boots.

With her crouched legs, she neared the bed and peeked at the two peacefully sleeping faces under the bed sheets. Her parents are not shinobis as they never joined the ninja academy. Being normal citizens that they are, they didnot detect the faint presence of her chakra. She stared at their innocent faces and smiled sadly. It is way too painful for her to be so close to them and yet be unable to converse with them.

"Hi mom, Hi dad." She whispered.

She sat down next to their feet and continued speaking, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Her lips trembled but she went on, "I have wanted to talk to you guys for a long time now but...I guess the current government doesn't allow that. If they ever find out about you two being my parents, then who knows what they will do to you."

A tear trailed it's way down her cheek. She quickly wiped it and spoke, "And do you remember Mom? I had once told you about being in love with a boy? Yes, that same guy has finally asked me to be with him. He wants me to..to be his wife..."

"Am I happy?" She began pacing back and forth inside the room.

"I don't really know..." She answered her own question, "I must be happy right?..since he has asked me..but..I don't know..I'm...I'm scared of him...I love him..Even after everything that has happened..I still do love him..but I'm also scared of him..and I-"

Suddenly, there occurred some movement underneath the bedcovers and a creaking sound was heard. Throwing her legs down the bed, Mebuki Haruno stood up on the wooden floor. She rubbed the sleep away from her eyes and glanced around the room desperately. But unfortunately, her eyes found nothing...

"Anything wrong?" Kizashi Haruno also woke up and asked his wife.

"No..I just felt like..I think I felt our daughter's presence..." The old woman confessed.

Her husband sighed, "I wish your words were true but...we both know that our daughter is no more..."

Unknown to the two elders, Sakura sat silently on the rooftop of her parents' house. She had managed to sneak out of their bedroom the minute she felt shifting of the bedcovers. Luckily, her mother couldn't catch sight of her when she looked around. Once again, her parents normal civilian instincts have proven to be an advantage for her. Because if her parents would've been shinobi, then they might've discovered her presence by now on the top of their own house's roof. Without wasting any more time, Sakura began hopping from one roof to the other to reach her next planned destination- The Yamanaka Household.

.

Sakura knocked only once at the Yamanaka's door because it is past midnight and disturbing anyone's sleep is not what she wants to do. Also when she had knocked, she hadn't expected anyone to answer.

Yet the door was answered a few minutes later by one Ino Yamanaka, who was extremely shocked to see the pink-haired medic at her house around this time. However, because of the kunai in her hand, Sakura understood that her blonde best-friend wasn't expecting any acquaintances. Well, no one would expect to see a friend at such an ungodly hour. The blonde passed a hand through her mid-thigh long hair that she had let down to go to sleep. She hid the kunai back in her baby-blue night dress and looked questioningly at the pinkette.

When Sakura just lowered her head and gave no answer, Ino sighed. She placed a hand softly on Sakura's shoulder and pulled her inside the house.

"So..what is it? I mean it's not that I won't listen or anything but..you don't tell me anything these days.. Hell! You don't even show-up to talk to me like this..." The blonde confessed sadly.

Sakura smiled apologetically at her friend, "I'm sorry..."

Ino just shook her head and lead Sakura through the corridors before finally pulling her inside her bedroom. The yellow-haired girl sat down on her bed while Sakura sat down by the windowpane and began staring out into the night. There are so many things that she wants to tell her best friend, so many things that she wants to do, so many things that she won't ever be able to achieve because of her fated marriage to the _only love of her life_ (heavy sarcasm applied).

She sighed heavily and apologised again, "I'm sorry, Ino..."

The said girl looked at her with a flabbergasted expression on her face. Of all the times, Sakura has chosen 12:37 a.m. at night to apologise to her? But more importantly, apologise for what?

"What are you apologising for? What's up?" Ino asked, suspiciously.

In a depressive manner, the medic shook her head, making her henge disappear. As she lowered her head, her long pink locks fell over her face. She wants to tell Ino everything about her meeting with Sasuke but she cannot. All these happenings about her deal for the sake of the Hyuga clan and her sacrificial marriage to Sasuke are causing her too much pain. Too much for her to tolerate it anymore. A tear rolled down her cheek and her lips trembled, trying to keep her tongue from sobbing. But her shoulders began shaking violently, making her loose control over her lips and a shrill cry of sorrow escaped from her mouth.

Worry overtook the blonde female and she rushed to the side of her now weeping friend.

"Sakura?" Ino placed a hand on the pink haired woman's shoulder and spoke worriedly, "Wha-what's wrong?"

The pinkette bade no response and continued weeping, tears now cascading freely down her pale face. And since Ino understood that Sakura won't be explaining about her current breakdown anytime soon, she gently slid her arms around the sobbing girl and engulfed her into a sisterly embrace- warm and protective.

.

.

Rubbing her eyelids Sakura woke-up and immediately realised that she was in her best friend's bed, her arms entangled around the blonde. At some point, in the midst of her unstoppable sobbing, Sakura must have fallen asleep into Ino's arms. She sighed and looked around the dimly lit room in search of a clock. Having found one on her friend's dresser, she detangled herself from her friend's embrace and moved towards the clock. '3:49', It read.

In a few minutes, the sun will begin its uprise above the horizon and the birds will begin chiming in their sweet tone. Sakura decided that the time of her freedom is over and silently walked out of the room so as to not disturb her friend's sleep. As cautiously as possibly, she pulled on her boots and stepped out of the Yamanakas' house.

She recalled that she hadn't put on her disguise before leaving Ino's house so she hid in an alleyway and began the genjutsu. But then, another thought entered her mind and she decided to let herself be. There's no need for this henge anymore since her true identity will be revealed by the Uchihas, just as Sasuke had mentioned in his firm tone, _...that disguise of yours will be discarded without any complaints._

Thus, she continued strolling around the village for another few hours of her freedom.

* * *

Suigetsu and Juugo have explored the house for about three times by now yet have found no traces of the girl in question. It was at sharp six in the morning when their arrogant leader woke them up and asked them to find and bring the girl of his interest. Thirty minutes have already passed their search but they've caught no sight of the pink haired medical kunoichi. They looked around in all the possible places starting from the Yamanaka Flower Shop to the hospital where she still works, followed by many more areas, finally ending their search at her presumed small apartment.

"I think she ran away." Suigetsu commented lazily.

Juugo frowned, "Why would you say that, Suigetsu-san?"

The bluish-white haired guy pulled down his blade and began swinging it casually. His fiery-haired partner stared at him quizzically. Suddenly, the guy grinned, baring his shark-like teeth to the world.

"Don't tell about this to Sasuke." Suigetsu asked.

"I won't." Juugo affirmed.

Nodding his head once, Suigetsu spoke, "Y'know that girl was...how to put it..she was kinda...very sweet and innocent type. I looked into her eyes and guess what I found."

Juugo quirked his eye-brows confusedly, "What?"

"Fear" The mist nin uttered, "It was fear, Juugo. I found fear in her eyes. Despite accepting Sasuke's proposal, she was scared. It's like she didn't want to do any of this and yet she had no other choice but to accept. She-"

"I don't think she should marry, Sasuke-sama." Juugo interrupted him all of a sudden.

"Wh-wha-whaaat?!" Suigetsu shrieked, surprised by his partner's sudden confession.

Juugo shook his head, "That woman..she really did look very innocent. I don't think Sasuke-sama is doing the right thing..."

For moments, the duo stood there before the medic's apartment, lost in their own thoughts. They are surprised at themselves as they have barely ever talked to the girl and yet they are sympathising with her, wondering if what they are doing is right or not.

"I suppose you two are looking for me?" A voice asked from behind them.

They turned around to face none other than the pink haired kunoichi they had been searching for. From the dark circles that were visible under her eyes, they figured that she had had no sleep the previous night. Moreover, tear marks were staining her face, indicating how she had spent the complete last night shedding tears and her dirt-covered boots showed that she hadn't even stayed at her home for the whole night. _Is Sasuke the cause of her present condition?_ Suigetsu wondered.

"Y-You need to come with us." Suigetsu stated, adjusting his sword back in its proper place.

Sakura merely nodded her head, smiling gravely at the two as if she has known for a long time now what awaits her...what is bound to happen to her... Juugo was the first one amongst the two who nodded his head at her and started walking, signalling both Sakura and Suigetsu to follow. The red-eyed rogue shinobi tried his best at concealing the guilt that he was feeling by working according to Sasuke's orders. Because even though he is following Sasuke's words to bring Sakura, Juugo still wants her to escape from Sasuke's clutches somehow. From the corner of his eyes, he took one last glance at the pale kunoichi and they continued their walk towards the Hokage Tower.

.

.

They took the most secluded path to the Hokage Tower so as to help Sakura secure her identity from the village inhabitants. After all, the last time a woman saw her true self at the Yamanaka Flower Shop can't be counted as one of the best experiences of her life.

On reaching the gates, they were greeted by none other than Sakura's soon to be wedded husband. _Sounds so weird to think of him as my..my...my husband._ thought Sakura. The young Uchiha tried catching her eyes but she lowered her head in sadness. To her dismay, Sasuke took it as an offence and immediately pulled her by her wrist towards himself. He then tilted his head down at her and hissed, "You're soon going to be an Uchiha. So stop bowing your head and start acting like one."

"Y-Yes, Uchiha-san." She stuttered out.

That irked him even further- her not referring to him by the way she used to in the past. He wanted to urge her to call him by that former name but he only scoffed in response, followed by an intense glare of his feared sharingan.

In the background, Suigetsu and Juugo whose presence was completely forgotten, watched the change in Sasuke's dark mood to an even darker shade. They shivered when he hissed a command to the innocent kunoichi. His mood reached the highest level of sour when she responded and both Suigetsu and Juugo gulped, involuntarily beginning to step farther away from the Uchiha.

"Come" The Uchiha Prodigy ordered and the three of them obliged without any complaints.

.

Sakura has been to the Hokage Tower many a times in her life but never has she received this much respect from the anbus. Each time any of the anbus who passed by the four of them, stopped in their tracks to first bow before Sasuke and then at her. What shook her the most is that all of them addressed her as _Mrs. Uchiha_ instead of referring to her by her usual name. _Guess Sasuke has already informed them about the engagement._ She thought.

When they arrived at the top floor, Sasuke was the one who unceremoniously entered the Hokage's room without so much as knocking on the door. Sakura meekly followed after Suigetsu and Juugo, whom she felt were trying to guard her for some weird reason. She peeked past their tall frames and it was then that she saw the five people present inside the room. In the centre, on the Hokage's chair sat the fearsome Madara Uchiha. Next to him stood Obito Uchiha in the company of the window while the venus flytrap look-alike Zetsu stood right next to the entrance door. Surprisingly, Sakura found Deidara roaming around the room playing with his clay whilst Sasori sat on the Hokage's table. The last time she had seen them, was during the war but here they are, sitting as if they had never died.

Both Juugo and Suigetsu bowed their heads before Madara and then went to stand by the door. Sakura noticed how hesitant they were to leave her side but as they did so, the village's current Hokage took in a proper look at her. After scanning her from the head to toe, the eldest Uchiha smirked in a manner similar to that of Sasuke's but much more sinister. His eyes then averted and he nodded appreciatively at Sasuke, who just stood there stoically.

"My my, if it isn't Sakura-chan." drawled out a deep, slithery voice and Sakura jerked her head in the direction of the speaker.

There, lurking in the right corner of the room, Sakura found Kabuto standing eerily. _Six, six people._ She corrected herself and looked at Kabuto whose whole form was covered by a dark purple robe, allowing only the sight of his scaly palms and snake-like face. Sakura mentally puked at his similarities with Orochimaru.

"Sakura", this time the head of the group, Madara spoke up, "Sakura is a very befitting name for you."

As if on cue, Deidara began snickering. "Aren't you the one who punch-killed my man Sasori, hmmm?" He asked in an amused tone. But everyone else present in the room stared shockingly at Sakura, who lowered her head without responding.

"What?!" Suigetsu was the one who voiced everyone's thoughts. " _You_ actually killed an Akatsuki?" He asked baffled. Everyone gazed expectantly at Sakura- everyone including the Hokage, waiting for her to answer Suigetsu's query. But the pinkette remained silent and tried her best at ignoring Sasuke's piercing glare that was intimidating her to speak.

"Ofcourse she did." Sasori answered the question for all of the curious faces as if he was making a remark about the weather.

"Oh! Yes you are right Sasori-san. Indeed she did kill you. But there was also an older woman aiding her." Zetsu spoke in agreement, making everyone even more confused.

"Chiyo baa-sama was only trying to help her but seriously, _she_ is the one who fought my hundred puppets and landed the finishing blow. I was impressed that merely a chunnin could defeat me. But now, so long has passed. I think you must be even stronger than before." Sasori spoke with a kind of spark in his eyes.

"So you defeated and killed him." Madara finalised.  
He then smirked again and said to Sasuke, "I have to admit it, Sasuke. Your choice in women is quite...exotic."

All the men snickered at that in agreement while Sasuke only smirked back in response.

Madara stood up from his chair walked round to stand next to Sakura. He placed a hand on the pink haired girl's shoulder and began, "A woman who is so strong that she has defeated and killed one of my organization's member and is as beautiful as a cherry blossom at the same time, is a very suitable candidate for marriage."

"Sakura," the oldest Uchiha addressed her with pride, "Welcome to our family. I hope you bless me with healthy and strong grandsons."

Sakura shivered at the man's words. _Grandsons? He's expecting me to..._ She recalled the deal that she had made the previous night with Sasuke for the sake of Neji, Hinata and all the other Hyuga Clan members and nodded her head grimly at the eldest Uchiha. Thankfully, her response satisfied both Sasuke and Madara.

Obito cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention."Well then Sasuke, lets announce about your wedding to the whole village." He suggested.

Madara agreed, "Ofcourse, now that I have met the woman of Sasuke's choice, I want to make this wedding official. Tell the Anbus to gather all the villagers around the Hokage Tower." He ordered.  
Everyone nodded their heads and left the room to carry out the order, leaving Sakura alone with the Hokage and her soon to be husband.

* * *

Sai was woken up by a loud thud on his bedroom's floor. He mechanically opened his eyes and looked at the intruder- an Anbu. Rubbing his tired eyes, he glanced at the wall clock and found the time to be only 7 o' clock in the morning. He turned back to the masked shinobi questioningly.

"There's an announcement to be made at the Hokage Tower. Report their within fifteen minutes. Inform as many civilians as you can." The man spoke.

"Announcement? This early in the morning?" He asked from his position on the bed.

"Yes! Now get up before the Hokage kills you!" The Anbu shouted and left using his bedroom's window.

Sai looked suspiciously at the slowly disappearing back of the unknown anbu and stood up from his bed. He felt something extremely fishy about this sudden morning announcement thing. With the possible reasons mingling in his brain, he headed towards his bathroom for a quick shower.

* * *

"Ino-chan! Wake up!"

Ino instantly shot up in her bed sheets because of the yelling of her mother.

"What is it mom?!" She yelled back in irritation on being disturbed from her sleep.

"There is an important announcement to be made at the Hokage Tower. We need to get there within fifteen minutes." The older woman informed.

"Okay Okay, whatever it is..." The blonde girl mumbled and turned to the other side of the bed in order to wake up her bestie. She wondered about how she will have to explain about Sakura's presence in her room later on to her mother. But this explanation can wait for the time being. That horrid Hokage's announcement is far more important.

"Hey Sak-"

Ino stopped her words when she found no one on the other half of her bed. How? She remembers dragging a weeping Sakura to her bed last night and hugging her to sleep. Worriedly, she jumped out of the bed and scanned the whole room to find her best friend but unfortunately Sakura had left a long time ago without even telling her friend. _Why?_ Ino questioned dejectedly.

"Ino-chan, are you coming?" Distantly she heard the voice of her mother calling her.

"Ye-Yes mom!" She responded.

.

A few minutes later the Yamanaka Family were walking down the streets in the direction of the Hokage Tower. They were all busy wondering about the sudden announcement that is to be made today. Last time an announcement was made, it was declared that no people will be allowed to lead their lives as shinobis except for the anbu division and the medical unit. If Madara is going to make another such declaration, then Ino is sure Darui won't need to plan his rebel anymore as the people themselves will jump out at him in revolt. _Who am I kidding? People will never revolt against him. They fear Madara..._ Ino closed her eyes sadly.

"Beautiful?"

A familiar voice called her by a nickname that she has grown fond of since the past two months. She has grown accustomed to his mannerisms. She whipped her head back to find the owner of the smooth tone. Her parents turned as well, thinking if they are the ones who have been addressed by the unknown speaker.

"Sai-kun?" Ino questioned and found him standing at a distance of a few feet from her.

She smiled at him which he politely returned as best as he could since his problems at expressing his emotions and walked over to where she was standing with her parents. He bowed his head to the two elders in a respectable greeting and then his eyes wandered back at the blonde beauty.

"Going to the Hokage Tower?" He asked her.

"Yes" she answered.

"Kaa-san, Tou-san, this is Sai." She gestured her parents towards the black-clad guy, "And Sai, meet my parents."

He bowed once again to the two and silently, they all began heading towards the Hokage tower.

* * *

Sakura looked at the large number of people present before the Hokage Tower through the window of the Hokage's room. She never knew that these many people inhabited the her village. Moreover, she didn't know these many people were scared of the Hokage. Then again, who isn't scared of the _great_ Madara Uchiha? She is too. She admits albeit in a resentful manner. From the position of her lowered head, she sneaked a glance at the Uchiha Avenger. He was busy swaying his kusanagi lazily as if he just wanted to quickly get this whole ordeal over with. Honestly, she also wants to finish this as soon as possible. She is more than ready to face the huge crowd and reveal herself. _Shannaro!_ She can face everyone. _Wait! Everyone? This means everyone will be there..Ino..and Sai...and all the members of FoK! How am I going to face them?_ Suddenly she lost all her confidence and sunk her shoulders even more. The avenger seemed to have noticed this as he approached her.

Standing directly behind her, he whispered in her ear so as to make sure his great grandfather won't be able to listen to his words, "You agreed to this deal, Sakura. Now there's no time for you to lower yourself and mope over it."

"They're all here I guess. Let's get started." Obito returned to the room and said.

They walked out to join Madara, who was already standing atop the roof. He smirked as they reached and stood by his side, causing numerous people to murmur about the pinkette.

"Isn't that, Sakura Haruno?!" One man asked to his fellows.

"Yeah...I heard she was..dead." answered his friend.

"But why is she there at the rooftop with the Hokage?" another lady asked.

"I heard she left the village after her mentor, Tsunade went missing." An old woman spoke.

Sakura tried ignoring all the chit-chat and kept looking around the enormous crowd in hopes of not finding her friends there. But, she was wrong. She spotted some of them like Kiba, Temari, Darui, Samui and even. And unfortunately, all of them were staring at her questioningly. She averted her gaze and looked anywhere except for down at the crowd. In that time, she noticed that Suigetsu and Juugo had entered the roof along with Kabuto and were now standing behind her and Sasuke. She sighed and lowered her head when Madara began speaking.

* * *

Mebuki Haruno stared at her daughter in awe. She is supposed to be dead but there she stood, right next to the Hokage, with her head lowered, looking away from the swarms of people. She glanced at her husband, wondering what might be going in his mind right now.

"Kizashi, that's..." She tried but failed while her husband only responded with a curt nod. Somehow, he got a bad feeling about this.

"As you know, I had called for everyone of you to report here within a span of fifteen minutes. Well the reason behind this is a quick announcement, an announcement of joy that I would like make." Madara spoke.

Ino anticipated on what joyous announcement can someone as tyrannical as him make. She was also wondering why Sakura was there along with the Uchihas. Sai was also pondering over the same issue.

"My great grandson, Sasuke, has decided to settle down." He declared, earning loud shocked gasps from the crowd.

"He has found himself a suitable woman and wants to tie the knot with her in the sacred bond of marriage." Madara explained.

Then with his palm he signalled for Sasuke and Sakura to step forward and they did.

"This is Sakura. She has been Sasuke's point of interest for quite a long time now. She is going to be Sasuke's soon to be wedded wife." He clarified gesturing towards the pinkette.

A series of new comments erupted from the crowd.

"What? Sakura is going to marry the Hokage's great grandson?" Some lady asked.

"I heard that she has been in love with him ever since she was twelve." A young girl answered.

"But I thought she was dead. Afterall, she went missing right after the war." Another boy spoke.

Mebuki ignored all those remarks and herself spoke up, "Sakura-chan! I don't know if this reality or just a dream but I'm very glad that you are still alive. Please come back here to me." She requested.

"Sakura, my blossom, what are you doing?!" shouted her father, emotional and angry at the same time.

Ino joined Sakura's parents and was the next one to question her motives, "Sakura! Why are you doing this?!"

* * *

Suigetsu looked uneasily at the pink-haired woman who was being questioned in a series by some of her acquaintances. He now felt quite guilty if not completely by bringing her to this place. What might be going through her head right now? She must really be broken to silently take all the lashings from her friends and family members. Juugo, on the other hand was also staring at the girl rather curiously, awaiting her response.

All of a sudden, the pinkette arched her head up and looked straight at the swarms of people. She had a sort of determined expression on her face.

She held a firm tone when she finally began speaking, "I am sorry if I have hurt you guys in any way. But...you already know how much..how much I've been in love with Sasuke and I still am."

"I know that!" Ino yelled like she has been betrayed somehow.

Sai squeezed Ino's shoulder to calm her and spoke on her behalf, "What Ino wants to say is that she has known about your feelings since long but this doesn't explain your sudden decision of marrying Sasuke."

"I-I-I-"

Sakura stopped unable to find any way to trick them and closed her eyes.

Ino and Sakura's mother were now in tears. "Say something!"

Sakura looked up, surprised on hearing her blonde best friend's cry.

There was a desperation in the pale-blue-eyed girl's voice as she yelled, "Say something, Forehead! Gimme a reason! How can I just believe you like that?! How can I believe that _he_ ," Ino pointed her orange-nailed index finger at Sasuke and continued, "..how can I believe that he has nothing to do with your sudden decision?!"

Neji who had been acting like silent spectator felt shocked when he heard Ino accusing Sasuke. The girl has no idea how accurate her guess is. If only he could tell everyone right here and right now about Sakura's deal with Sasuke, he _would_ have. But a selfish part of him stopped him. It willed him to keep his tongue tied because if Sakura marries the young Uchiha, then the Hyuga clan will be spared. How coward of him to sit and watch his friend sacrifice for him and his clan too. He is ashamed of himself. Tenten sensed the unease in his form when she saw his trembling fingers and assuringly patted his back.

"There is no questioning my daughter-in-law's decision. It has everything to do with her feelings for my grandson." Madara spoke defensively for the quiet medic.

"A wedding will be planned for these two young ones with the assistance and advisory from my in-laws. And after this girl's parents and I have a proper discussion, a wedding ceremony will be held for the whole village. Further announcements will be made after the finalisations."

Everyone went silent at the Hokage's words while Mebuki kept weeping for her daughter as an angry Kizashi stroked her hair. Ino was also sobbing without making much noises to attract attention. Shikamaru dragged Temari along with him to console his ex-teammate. Sai stood there by her side, not sure what words would be the best in a situation like this.

"However," Madara spoke yet again to regain everyone's attention.

"I do not believe much in all these old wedding customs. And truthfully, I don't think all these ceremonies are required to bind two souls together... Therefore, I, Madara Uchiha, hereby pronounce Sasuke and Sakura as husband and wife."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Finally, this chapter has reached an end XD_**

 ** _So far, its the longest chapter that I've written. About 5300+ words O.O_**

 ** _So, what do you guys think?_**

 ** _Did you enjoy all the drama? ;)_**

 ** _Did you like the presence of Sasori and Deidara? :P_**

 **Please Review and Share :)**

 ** _~Manika🌸_**


	9. -:Blank Canvas:-

**Posted on: 25/01/17**

 _ **A/N: Alright! So before you dear readers move on to the chapter, I have a small request here. Despite of the quick updates that I make, I do not receive much feedback from your end. A writer is nothing without readers and their feedbacks. So please, I humbly and desperately request you for some reviews. Thank You!**_

 **I'd like to dedicate this chapter to the 'Guest' who has been reviewing ever since I posted the first chapter and to Saba Sheikh, who gives me good constructive reviews. LOVE YOU TWO**

 _ **Here's the 9th chapter of ACaR-**_

* * *

 ** _"He is the rain...  
..washing away her colours.  
Now they are the same-  
A blank canvas..."  
-Sai_**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Blank Canvas**

* * *

" _My great grandson, Sasuke, has decided to settle down. He has found himself a suitable woman and wants to tie the knot with her in the sacred bond of marriage._ " Kiba spoke, mimicking Madara's exact words.

"Sacred my ass!" He yelled a second later.

"Pipe down, will you?! Unless ofcourse, you want the anbu to discover our hidden HQ." Temari warned in an irritated voice.

"Hn" Tenten scoffed, "atleast he's not just sitting silently about Sakura's betrayal."

"Tenten!" Lee yelled at her, "Sakura-san hasn't betrayed us. She will...she will never betray us..." Lee finished in a small hopeful tone.

All the members of FoK went silent after hearing Lee's words. They were all angry and confused about their pink-haired friend's sudden decision of going against them and marrying Sasuke. Everyone had known about her feelings for the young Uchiha who broke her trust and left the village to gain power under the commands of the former leaf shinobi named Orochimaru. Everyone knew that even after Sasuke's attempts at killing her and Naruto, both of them were still willing to save him from his dark past. Yet none of the members of FoK ever expected this to happen. None of them had ever expected Sakura to leave their side to join Sasuke in a bond of marriage.

"Whatever it is..we don't have much time to ponder about that bitch's traitorous decision." Samui declared firmly.

Her choice of words earned her a pulverising glare from Temari. The four-pogtailed kunoichi is a proper civilian from the village hidden in the sand but she isn't oblivious about her friends from the leaf. She is fully aware of Sakura's love for Sasuke but she also knows that the pinkette will never stoop this low to be with the guy of her dreams. She will never marry him like that on a whim so she can stay by his side forever. There is something more to this whole situation than meets the eye. With a tired sigh, she ran her eyes across the room. To her surprise, she found Sakura's best friend aka the Yamanaka clan's heiress lying as still as a rock on the lap of a very pale looking Sai(if that is even possible). All this time when some of the members of FoK were speaking against Sakura, Ino didn't even bat an eyelash. It's as if she isn't even present in this room, as if she is lost somewhere else in her thoughts.

"Her actions have been suspicious from the very beginning. I'm not surprised if she has betrayed us now." Samui stated as matter of fact.

"Nothing's suspicious about it!" Kiba argued.

"Yeah! There must be a good reason behind Sakura-san's decision." Lee agreed.

"And why do you guys think so? She couldn't even bring Hinata. So how can you expect anything good from her?" Tenten sneered.

"Tenten" this time Neji Hyuga spoke-up in a stiff tone, emphasizing every single word and it's syllables, " . ."

Neji has been hearing all of his comrades arguing over Sakura's loyalty for a while now, which is making his tongue itch to speak out for the poor girl but sadly, he cannot. _Neji...I want this deal to remain a secret shared between only the two of us. I don't want you to tell anyone._ He recalled her words. How he wants to speak-up for the pink-haired medic but cannot. No one but he knows how much Sakura has done for his clan by her marriage. But still, he has doubts about the Uchiha...doubts about his promise- whether he will stick to his words or not.

Tenten was eyeing Neji questioningly, wondering what he meant by his sudden statement. He tried to act as cool as possible and answered.

"What I mean is..I don't think we must accuse Sakura of a crime that she hasn't even committed." Neji explained.

"How can you be so sure that she isn't guilty? That she hasn't betrayed us?" Tenten asked, looking at him straight in the eyes.

"I...I'm not sure.. But we can't just accuse her without any evidence." Neji countered.

"Is it even necessary to look for an evidence? We all know that she has feelings for the Uchiha! She always had!" Tenten challenged.

"Tenten" Neji called her by her name yet again, "Shut up."

Those two words struck her like an arrow straight through her heart. She found it hard to believe that the Hyuga just ordered her to _shut up_? _Shut up_ for what? For that pink haired kunoichi who couldn't even help them with the plan of a coup d'état? For the girl who couldn't even convince Hinata to join them? For the girl who has now taken the Uchihas' side?

She looked at him with an intense glare, "Neji, I can't believe it, you just shut me up for _her_? For _her_? What's so special about her, huh?"

Before the Hyuga Prodigy could answer his dual-bunned former teammate, the Nara clan's young genius spoke up.

"Quit it you two. There's no point in arguing."

"Yeah.." Choji agreed with his best friend and continued with his potato-chips stuffed-mouth, "Fhikamau's wight! Orjuvents mon't belp ush." (Shikamaru's right! Arguments won't help us.)

Darui felt relieved that someone finally put an end to his small team's quarrel. A clan's annihilation is going to occur soon and a group of misfits is not what he wants to be handling at these times. He wants a well-coordinated group of skilled shinobis and kunoichis, who can aid him in his coup against the Uchiha Government's orders.

He has been listening intently to their verbal fight. He was also present at the Hokage Tower for the hearing of Madara's announcement. And even though he doesn't know Sakura that well, he too suspects something fishy about Sakura's decision. She was even late for the meeting held yesterday. He recalled the previous days conversation that he had had with Ino, Sai and Tenten.

 _"She..." Ino went quite.  
_

 _"She's at Hinata's." Tenten answered for Ino, "I met Ino and Sai in the streets today. So I asked them about Sakura and they told me that she has gone to talk to Hinata."_

And then he also went through Sakura's explanation in his head.

 _"I was at the Hyugas'."_

And also, how both Sakura and Neji gave completely contradicting answers in relation to the Hyuga Princess.

 _"It worked out." said Sakura.  
_

 _But Neji uttered at the same time, "She won't be helping us."_

All these hurriedly spoken confessions are more than enough for the former cloud nin to tell that most of these explanations given by his team members are plainly false. Ino's hesitance, Sai's silence, Tenten speaking in place of Ino and then Sakura and Neji's contrasting answers are all hinting towards some kind of hidden acts.

On suspecting this, Darui immediately called, "Ino! Sai! Yesterday...you both didn't know _anything_ about Sakura's whereabouts. Am I right?"

Both the said persons gasped at his sudden question. Ino averted her eyes as if she was confronting herself about how she must go on with answering this query. Sai, on the other hand was looking expectantly at Ino, waiting for her to make a decision about their response to their leader. Yes! They both had lied the previous day about their pink-haired friend. Ino had informed Sai about Sakura's unexpected leave and thus, both of them had embarked on a trip around the village in search of the pinkette. But they had not prepared themselves for any encounters with the other members of the FoK. So when Tenten came up to them, Ino and Sai naturally lied to her and told the weapons' mistress that the girl in question is at the Hyuga's. Who knew one small lie would lead onto another one? And yet it did. Darui too asked them about Sakura and Tenten informed the cloud nin exactly what she herself had been told. Funny thing is, when Sakura arrived at the meeting thirty minutes late along with Neji (to everyone's surprise) and spoke exactly what Ino and Sai had used as a lie about her, they felt a sense of relief wash over their souls. So then, why is it that all of a sudden Darui is doubting them?

Sadly, if he is doubting them then he really must have caught on something from yesterday's meeting. Therefore Sai chose to let Ino shed some more tears for her friend while he left her side and walked towards the leader of the FoK to stand face-to-face with him.

"Yes. Indeed we lied. We didn't know anything about Sakura's location the previous day." Sai confessed the truth.

Every single member of their group gasped in shock but their leader's facial expression held no surprise. Creepy as it may appear, the dark-skinned man's demeanour remained calm and collected.

"Good" he patted Sai's back, "I'm glad that this time you've chosen to speak the truth."

"You both lied to me?!" Tenten yelled immediately after Darui's words.

Sai glanced at her and then shrugged with the best apologetic smile that he had learnt to put on within the past two months.

"You both lied!" Tenten yelled again.

"Yes they did," Shikamaru spoke up in a weirdly calm tone, "but this is not what must be questioned. The thing that we must be pondering about is _Sakura_."

"That's right." Temari joined, "Despite the lie told by Ino and Sai, Sakura was actually at the Hyuga compounds yesterday."

Darui nodded at the sand village's kunoichi and at the faithful Nara genius. Both of them had voiced his concern with the proper words. But the only person who can solve this completely tangled case is none other than the Hyuga Genius. He turned his eyes towards Neji, "Were you and Sakura actually at the Hyuga Compounds?"

For the first time in his life till date, Neji Hyuga tensed. He stood like a motionless statue, anxiety written all over his face. What should he do? Should he spill the beans? Should he hold onto his loyalty? He shook his head and lowered his head in contemplation. _I don't want you to tell anyone._ Sakura's words hammered into his thoughts yet again. She made this choice on her own free will. And if this is how she wants to go with it...like an unsung warrior..then so be it.

"We were at the Hyuga Compounds..to see Hinata-hime." He answered with an impassive face.

"Actually", Sai began, "Yesterday, Ino was keeping watch over Sakura. But then, Sakura somehow managed to escape the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Ino came to inform me about this and we began looking for her. It was at that very moment that Tenten stumbled upon us and asked us about Sakura."

Darui nodded his head and so, Sai went on, "We didn't want to create any kind of panic amongst the members of our already busy group, so Ino and I lied to Tenten. We thought that we'll be able to find Sakura in no time. We couldn't...But thankfully, Sakura joined us at the meeting along with Neji."

Sai explained, putting all the puzzle pieces in their proper place.

"Okay, Sakura escaped from Ino's watchful eyes and went to see Hinata. It is only natural since she herself suggested the idea of taking Hinata's help. Neji was also there at the Hyuga Compounds at that time." Shikamaru concluded Sai's explanation.

Yet, however legit this explanation may appear, there is still something that is unsolved. And it can't be solved until they find the missing puzzle piece. And that piece is, Sakura's marriage. All this mess doesn't put a finger on anything related to her unexpected marriage to the Uchiha Prodigy.

"So most of our problems have been concluded." Darui spoke, "But we still have no idea about Sakura's decision of marrying Sasuke."

"Like Tenten said, there's no need for any explanations. The girl has feelings for the Uchiha." Samui stated.

"No," Darui shook his head before Kiba or Lee could violently protest against Samui's words.

"I may not know much about Sakura or any of you guys from the leaf and sand. But something about that pink-haired girl screams loyalty to me. I don't think she can betray us for something like _love_. Love is supposed to make people help out those in need. Love doesn't make one selfish. It turns people into selfless souls..." Darui explained with an image of innocently smiling Sakura flashing before his mind's eyes.

"Love is an emotion that can make people achieve great heights. Love makes us strong. You are all expressing different emotions because you are concerned about your friend, Sakura. Some of you are anxious, some angry while others are silently wondering about her act. But unknowingly, you are all expressing disappointment for your friend's action because you all _love_ her." Everyone listened silently to their pale-white haired leader's explanation.

He then went on, "Also if Sakura is marrying Sasuke because she loves him, then you are wrong. Even if she _does_ love him, then too there must be another hidden reason for her doing so."

"Right" Shikamaru agreed, "but as of right now, thinking about our coup must be our top priority. Sakura's decision can be investigated later on."

"Yeah..." Kiba nodded, "You're right."

Samui and Tenten lowered their heads when they realised their mistake. Darui is speaking the truth about their emotions. They hold nothing against Sakura but for some reason, her sudden decision has disappointed them. Maybe it is because of her constant quiet behaviour for which they trusted her and never expected her to turn against them. It's just their bonds that are hurting them...

"About Sakura," Sai hesitantly began but when he noticed how everyone's attention had perked, he went on, "you all can plan out the coup while I, as a member of the anbu, can go and have a talk with Sakura."

Temari bolted up at that, "This is a really good idea! I agree with Sai."

"Me too!" Lee jumped up and down in excitement.

By the looks on other's faces, Darui confirmed that everyone was in agreement with Sai's ideology. So he allowed Sai to leave for his task while he discussed the last bits of their coup d'état.

* * *

"So, a pink-haired Uchiha. That's a first."

The words were addressed to Sakura by a very amused looking, explosive art-loving blond shinobi. She turned away from the window in the Hokage's Room to face the former Stone Village Ninja. A crooked sort of grin was plastered on his face and he had his right arm draped around the shoulders of his partner, the former Sand Village Ninja aka Sasori of the Red Sand. For some unknown reason, they both decided to stay in the room with her. Who knows? Maybe to bother her? But she was not at all in the mood to talk to anyone, especially if one of them happened to be a man that she had once killed in a punch.

"I think she's ignoring us." The young-looking, red-haired shinobi suggested in an amused tone.

"Hn! Whatever." muttered the blond and moved to stand next to the sullen female.

"You know what? Madara expects..." , Deidara paused to correct himself, "Madara _wants_ grandsons from you. So...I already feel irritated at the prospect of little versions of Sasuke roaming around this place."

He smirked amusedly at the pinkette who finally decided to roll out some words from her silent tongue, "I wonder what would it be like to see little pink haired boys running around this place with their Sharingan."

It took the two re-animated shinobi a few seconds to realise that the girl had made a joke about her hair colour. And a sarcastic one at that. Sasori couldn't stop the small smirk from creeping on his face when he saw his blond partner grinning like an idiot at the little joke.

"Those boys will still be Uchihas." Sasori stated.

"But they'll look more Uchiha like without my hair trait." She shot back.

"I see you're getting quite cozy around each-other." A sly voice remarked when the door swung open to reveal a red-cloaked figure.

Kabuto slithered his way towards the three occupants of the room and smiled with an evil glint in his eyes. He glanced at his two re-animated shinobis and then moved his gaze to settle it on the only female amongst them. He grinned at her to reveal the creepy kind of opening of his wide jaw. It made the girl cringe but she kept her cool by hiding her fear behind a stoic face.

All throughout the war Kabuto Yakushi had stayed in the shadows and pulled the strings to control various dead men. But his reanimation jutsu was stopped somewhere in the middle of the war. Rumours kept circulating around in every nook and corner and one fine day, they even reached the ears of the fifth Hokage's disciple, Sakura Haruno. She heard several descriptions of how Itachi Uchiha was the one who put an end to Kabuto's tricks. But how? If Kabuto was the one acting like the puppeteer and pulling the strings, then how come one of his own puppets managed to stop him? Maybe Itachi Uchiha really is a legend? Or maybe it's just a rumour? But most of the times...rumours turn out to be the truth. Then...how? This is a tormenting topic. And what's even more tormenting, is the fact that Itachi didn't really kill Kabuto. He merely stopped the user from manipulating his puppets. He let the puppeteer live. He gave Kabuto a chance. And because of that very chance, this sick sycophant of Orochimaru is grinning from one ear to the other at a very irritated pink haired kunoichi.

Sakura glared at him and muttered out as calmly as possible, "What?"

"Well hello to you too, Sakura-chan." The snake drawled out immediately.

Sakura sighed loudly, wondering exactly how long she'll have to suffer in the presence of these crazy men.

"I wonder..." slithered Kabuto.

The pinkette knew that he was teasing her deliberately and wouldn't continue unless she asks him to. So she questioned, "Wonder what?"

The creepy guy snickered and answered, "I wonder how long have Sasuke-kun and you been having this clandestine affair."

She wanted to laugh in his face. Laugh at his choice of words because there never was any affair going on between the two. She used to harbour feelings for the dark avenger of her team. And these feelings later on developed into a very strong emotion- Love. Yes! Unfortunately she fell in love with the young Uchiha Prodigy right after he left her all by herself on a cold bench in the middle of the night. Because that very night, she witnessed the true personality of that boy and realised how alone and lost he was. And it is because of this realisation that she truly fell for him and decided that she wanted to save him. Sasuke on the other hand, never showed any interest in her. No. Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno never had an affair. They just happened to be together on the same team. Nothing more...

"Hmm...maybe it all started in the Forest of Death with the curse-mark?" Kabuto guessed, adjusting his glasses to the level of his piercing yellow irises.

"Or maybe...you two had been together even before that?" He whispered in her face with a sly grin on his face.

Unbeknownst to her own self, she had clenched her palm into fists and was currently shaking with rage, trying her best to keep herself from punching this snaky man right in his face and then yank out his tongue to chop it off and snatch away his ability of speech forever. Kabuto has hit a nerve he shouldn't have. He is well-aware of her feelings for the Uchiha and is just messing with her on purpose. She gritted her teeth and released a long breath before speaking.

"What do you want?" She muttered, trying to keep her anger in check.

"Oh come on, Sakura-chan! I'm just here on the Lord Hokage's orders." He feigned a look of hurt by placing one of his scaly palm on the position of his heart beneath his equally scaly chest.

She groaned in irritation and simply turned around to face the window again and ignore the presence of those three men.

Kabuto understood that she won't be turning back any time soon and so, he signalled the two other men in the room with a slight tilt of his head. On seeing his action, both of them brought out their arms and caught her wrists to keep her from moving. She gasped at the sudden intrusion but the guys kept on ignoring her and turns her around to face Orochimaru's sycophant once again. She began flailing her hands but a huge snake crawled out from underneath Kabuto's veil and coiled around her form.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" She yelled.

"Now now, an Uchiha bride mustn't raise her voice like this. It's bad for her reputation." Kabuto teased.

He pulled a small scroll from inside one of the sleeves of his cloak and spread it open infront of him. He then began making numerous hand signs, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on her angered state.

"What is it?!" She shouted again but earned no answer.

He continued on with his hand signs and once he was done, he grinned maniacally at her and slammed his palms on the intricate seals that were drawn on the scroll. Instantly, a surge of light blinded them and out came a tiny, mustard-coloured snake. It moved towards Sakura's left hand and crawled all the way up to her wrist, winding around it in a tight grasp. She shrieked, both in shock and fear. The little reptile made a low hissing sound and dug his fangs into the skin of her wrist. Sakura began losing the colour from her skin and paled in fear. The snake turned into a gold bracelet with it's scales etched into the accessory in a beautiful pattern.

"What is this, Kabuto?" She asked in fright.

A numbness spread all across her body and the pumping of her heart stopped for a second. Then it began to beat again but the strength she used to feel in herself was gone. It's as if her chakra was gone, leaving only small pints of it in her form.

"What...what did you do?" She asked desperately.

The snake-look alike grinned even more and her eyes widened in realisation. Her chakra points had been blocked.

* * *

Sai knew exactly where he'd find the solution to his problem. And his assumption turned out to be true. He saw Sasuke Uchiha resting atop a tree branch which happened to be in the vicinity of the Hokage Tower. The guy looked as silent and emotionless as he always is. Briefly Sai wondered why in the world did Naruto and Sakura want to help him out? Because clearly this guy is a stubborn brat who is way too blinded by his clan. Sasuke is nothing short of egotistical. As he knows that Sasuke is already aware of his presence, Sai takes in a deep breath and waits for the young prodigy to face down at him.

After a duration of five minutes, he realizes that Sasuke won't speak, so he himself decides to start the conversation, "We need to talk."

"I know you dislike me. But atleast try to show some respect to the grandson of the Hokage." The raven haired guy replied curtly.

"I apologize, Sasuke-kun. But seriously..we need to talk." Sai stated.

"Meh...I'd suggest you to stay away. He's not in a good mood right now." came the voice of a man sitting underneath a tree near Sasuke.

"Suigetsu-san" Sai greeted.

"Sai" the sharp-toothed guy returned the greeting.

Both of them came to know each-other on the day that Sai entered the Hokage Tower and requested Madara for a position in the anbu division. Suigetsu was the one who had guided him with all the things necessary for his entrance. They get to see each-other on a frequent basis just because they are both working like underdogs for the Uchiha but they never really engage in any kind of conversation other than the usual greetings. And although Suigetsu will never admit it, he has always wanted to talk to this pale-skinned shinobi who has now taken Sasuke's place in his former team.

Sai huffed out in annoyance, an action that he has learnt from Ino. They've been spending a lot of time together ever since the end of the war. The blonde female has been very kind towards him and always tries her best to help him out with his emotions. Maybe because of his connections with Sakura, Ino has become extremely friendly with him. A small unexpected smile graced upon his pale lips and he lowered his head to hide the joy he felt just by thinking about the Yamanaka Heiress. But thoughts of her also reminded him of her present sad condition.

He looked-up at Sasuke and began, "I need to talk about Sakura-san. I know she isn't marrying you on her choice."

The minute he uttered those words, Suigetsu choked on the water that he had been sipping from his bottle. He narrowed his purple irises in anxiety and turned his gaze towards the young Uchiha. _Bad move, dude_. He thought to himself as he gulped down on more water.

The said man finally opened his closed lids and glared down at Sai with his threatening Sharingan. "And who do you think made that choice for her?" He gritted out in his sinister, dark tone.

Sai lowered his head again, but this time in confusion, "Honestly speaking Sasuke-kun..I don't really know. I don't know why she is doing this but I know she doesn't want to marry you."

"Hn" Sasuke scoffed, "She always wanted to be with me."

"Not like this." Sai replied immediately.

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed into fine slits at his words. _Not like this? Then like what?!_ As far as he remembers, Sakura has always loved him and even though she isn't admitting her feelings right now, she still loves him. She does. Sasuke knows that she will keep loving him despite of everything that has transpired between the two. He also knows that she is marrying him for the sake of a deal but Sakura would've married him even without any deals. Atleast..he thinks she will.

"She loves me." He stated the fact.

Suigetsu coughed this time, his eyes as wide as saucers after hearing Sasuke's statement. Sai too expressed hints of shock on his face. A brief moment passed in silence after which Sai spoke up.

"I know something's going on. I know she's hiding something. And because of that _something_ , she has decided to marry you." said Sai.

Sasuke clenched his fists. This guy merely knows anything about team 7. How long has Sai been with them? Not longer than him, right? He knows everything about Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura like the back of his palms. Sai is nothing more than a pathetic replacement for his position in the team. Does Sai know the members of his team as well as him? _No_. So then...how does this stupid replacement know that Sakura is not marrying him plainly out of love but for some other reason?

"We were alone." Sai spoke again.

When he saw the quirk of one of Sasuke's brow, he continued, "When you..when you killed Naruto, Kakashi sensei lost it. He..he went into a coma. He's still not conscious and no one knows if he ever will be. Captain Yamato was gone. Sakura even had to declare herself dead and leave her parents. She disguised herself under the alias Doctor Kimiko Minamoto. So that left only me and Sakura. We became the only two remaining members of team 7. We were alone. We only had each-other. But then..Ino came to us and Shikamaru and Neji and many more. We formed a family again. But now..", Sai paused midway to glare at him, "She will be alone again. Alone..because you have taken her away from me and Ino and many of her other friends. She was finally rising up again..coming out of her state of torment. But now...she'll be in even more despair than before..."

If he was even the slightest bit affected by Sai's words then Sasuke is way too good at hiding it. He didn't even twitch after hearing this long speech. Just as Sai was about to speak again, Sasuke interrupted.

"Isn't it always like this? I am Sasuke Uchiha. I always take away what is mine." The raven stated calmly.

"What makes you think she's _yours_?" Sai asked with an edge in his voice.

Suigetsu noticed the Sasuke clenching and unclenching his palms, trying his best to keep calm. _Uh-Oh! Not good_. Suigetsu stood up from his spot underneath the shade of the tree and walked towards the two conversing dark-haired nins.

"Sasuke..Man..I think that Sai is right. That girl is not a non-living object that you can put your signature on. You can't claim her."

"Whatever..If you're done, then leave already." The Uchiha spoke without any trace of emotion.

Sai couldn't believe what the Uchiha just said. Sasuke doesn't care even a bit. It's like throwing words at deaf ears. Yes! Now Sai has realised it. Sasuke Uchiha is engulfed by the hatred. Darkness has eaten up all of him. Sasuke is a blank canvas now, just like he used to be.

"I was a blank canvas." Sai spoke.

Sasuke looked at him coolly while Suigetsu waited for him to elaborate.

"I..used to be a blank canvas..until I met him..Naruto..and then Sakura-san and Yamato Taichou and Kakashi sensei and..Ino... They all changed me.." He smiled dreamily, something he had never done before, "They painted this blank canvas." Sai finished, gesturing towards himself.

Sai didn't wait for any response from either of the two men listening to him. He turned on his heel and began walking out of the place.

It wouldn't have been possible for any commoners to hear Sai's words but Sasuke's trained ears caught on the words that his replacement had whispered before departing.

"You are also a blank canvas...and you'll turn her into one as well..."

* * *

 ** _A/N: So the chapter ends here. If any of you are still confused about Sasuke's behaviour, then let me explain. Remember the time when he killed Danzo and also stabbed Karin? He was evil at that time. I have based my Sasuke in that way: The who only cares about his clan and revenge and is too lost in the dark._**

 ** _If you have time, take a look at my SasuSaku one-shot book_** ** _entitled 'Embers of Passion', if you are interested in reading...:)_**

 ** _Anyways, what do you guys think of the FoK?_**

 ** _Kabuto has sealed Sakura's chakra points. What do you think about this?_**

 ** _And what do you think of Sasuke?_**

 ** _Until next time guys 👉_**

 ** _~Manika🌸_**


	10. -:Losing Herself:-

**Posted on: 04/02/17**

 ** _A/N: Hi guys! :D_**

 ** _A brief Recap:-_**

 ** _It is finally revealed to everyone that Sakura is going to marry Sasuke. All the members of FoK are trying to guess why she did that. Everyone trusts Sakura except for Tenten and Samui, who change their thoughts after a hearing Darui's speech._**

 ** _Meanwhile Deidara and Sasori are talking to Sakura, when suddenly Kabuto enters and seals Sakura's chakra using a sealing technique and binds a snake-like bracelet on her left wrist._**

 ** _Sai tries talking to Sasuke about the suspicious marriage and Sasuke is irritated by this. He even calls Sasuke a blank canvas who will make Sakura one as well._**

 **So here's the 10th chapter!**

 **Please Read, Enjoy and Review. Even a one-word review will be enough :D**

* * *

 **" _Every passing moment...  
I keep losing...  
..the bright aspects..  
...of my being..."  
-Sakura_**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Losing Herself**

* * *

Sakura let out another sob full of emptiness and betrayal. _Emptiness_ because of how void she felt after Kabuto blocked her chakra points and _Betrayal_ because immediately after the completion of the aforementioned task, both Deidara and Sasori exited the room with the snake-look-alike of Orochimaru. It's as if they had been talking to her just to divert her mind from what Kabuto was about to do to her. So, they had never intended for a casual chat with her in the first place. From the very beginning, distracting her was their top priority. They were just trying to fool her into getting caught in their hands and thus, lose all her strength. And voilà, now she doesn't even have enough chakra to crack a wall. _Great!_

Another tear glided down her porcelain cheeks and she slumped near the window in defeat. Resting her face in her arms folded above her knees, she continued weeping. Just how much will she have to endure for the sake of the Hyuga Clan? She has already been stripped off her disguise as Dr. K. Minamoto, been unceremoniously married to her ex-teammate by a plain declaration from their tyrannical Hokage and now, even deprived of her chakra. Only God knows what's next in store for her!

A click was heard and she felt very faint shuffling of feet inside the room. Maybe it is Kabuto, who has returned to check if his chakra-blocking technique is properly working on her or not? Or maybe it is some other of his re-animated shinobi puppet, who has come to make fun of her and enjoy their time? Or maybe someone else...

As she went on shedding tears whilst guessing about the identity of the other person in the room, she felt _it_. Even in her weakened state, she still felt the flare of that enigmatic chakra. She'll be to moon and back but will never mistake that dark presence. _Sasuke_.

She lifted her head and came face-to-face with the man she has been betrothed to. She doesn't want him to see her like this- so vulnerable and..pathetic! Of all the people, she doesn't want Sasuke Uchiha to see her in such a weak stature, lamenting about her fate. And yet here he is, watching her.

It is surprising to find him eyeing her with an intense glare. It is as if he is having an inner debate with himself right now about whether he should kill her or not. _What have I done?_ She thought to herself.

"You have no idea." He responded through gritted teeth and she realised that she has actually voiced her thoughts loud enough for him to hear.

As much as she wanted to question him about his weird answer to her query, the only sound that made its way out of her mouth was another sob. And that sob was enough to bring Sasuke's attention to her form. He was too busy mulling about his arguments with Sai that he didn't even notice her tear-stained cheeks upon entering the Hokage's room. Her complete body was shaking with her sobs and there was something amiss about her. It's as if something was gone from her usual soothing skin. But he couldn't put a finger on what that something was. Furthermore, he was still feeling furious after hearing Sai's words.

 _"I know she isn't marrying you on her choice."_

For some reason, hearing that she isn't marrying him by her own choice is irking him. He has only exchanged a few words with her and that too after such a long time yet just her presence is causing a stir inside him. Both his brain and body are behaving in a weird sort of manner. She is asking what she has done?! Oh! She really has no idea! This is what she has done. This is exactly what she is doing! She is turning him into a complete mess without even her own knowledge. And her obliviousness is making him all the more messed-up. Even after all this time she's still so...

"...annoying!" He hissed at her and she gasped.

And why is she crying anyway?! It's not as if she has actually married him yet! Not that he cares. Not that Madara is concerned. He opened his mouth to speak something snide to her but was interrupted by the turning of the door's knob and the clicking sound of it being pushed open. Angrily, he turned his head towards the door only to see his Great Grandfather enter the room along with two unknown people following after him. He had never met them before in his life but when his eyes noticed the chestnut hair colour contrasted by a pair of dull emerald eyes, he recognised the older woman. She had been their at the hearing of Madara's declaration about his marriage and she is also one of those who had raised her voice in the midst of all the gossiping civilians. She had shouted out her shock to his pink-haired former teammate and had also expressed her displeasure at the announcement of their marriage. Undoubtedly, the lean woman standing before him was Sakura's mother. And so he guessed that the other guy with weird pale purplish hair must be Sakura's father.

His wild guesses turned out to be accurate when both of them turned their heads towards him to flash a glare of disapproval. He neither flinched nor glared back because they deserved to express their emotions. Afterall, no parent would be happy about witnessing their daughter's wedding to an S-ranked criminal(even if the said criminal belonged to a well-renowned clan). Their gazes moved from his stoic face and came to rest upon the pinkette in the room. Her tear-struck face made them glare back at him and this time with even more intensity than before. Surprisingly, Sakura wiped her tears and tried to force a smile on her broken features just for the sake of her parents.

With a sweet voice that he had only heard her use in her genin years, she asked her parents, "What are you two doing here?"

Her words acted as if a switch was turned on and both of them were immediately at her side. Her mother pulled out a handkerchief and started wiping her face clean whilst her father watched her silently.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Her mother directed the same question at her.

When Sakura only lowered her head, her mother continued, "Sakura look at me," the woman tilted the young kunoichi's face up by her chin and spoke, "Sakura my dear, what are you doing here? I can't believe you are marrying this youngman. Don't give me that bullshit about how much you used to love him! I know there's more to this abrupt decision. Tell me dear, please..."

"I..." The kunoichi tried in vain.

"Sakura has this boy forced you to do this?! Is he threatening you with some kind of information?! What is it, Blossom? Why are you marrying this guy?" Her father spoke out with more disgust.

Sasuke scowled at that. It's not just Sai who has already understood about some kind of hidden reason behind her decision. Now Sakura's parents are also suspicious about this marriage. Hell! Even the civilians of this village are better. Atleast they accept their Hokage's words as truth without bothering about the possible reasons and even go on to gossip about it. If those lowly villagers can accept this to be true then why can't her parents?! Why can't Sai?! Dammit!

"My daughter-in-law has made her decision and it wouldn't be wise of you to divert her from her choice." Madara stated, now having taken his seat at the Hokage's chair.

Her parents were about to say something in disagreement but then Sakura looked-up at them with the most pleading look that Sasuke has ever seen on her face. This look was even stronger than the one she had given him that night when he was leaving Konoha. This look is also more intense than the one she had given him when she had rushed in-between him and their other idiotic teammate to stop him from killing the blonde hero just a few months ago at the peak of the fourth shinobi war. This look is clearly something that she will only hold for the people that are extremely important to her and her parents..surely count in. The old couple's eyes widened in shock and then settled on defeat.

They sighed and craned their heads towards their Hokage. "Atleast arrange a proper reception for the..for the..newly-wedded couple. ", requested Sakura's mother.

"A formal wedding reception, huh?" Madara glanced at Sasuke and Sakura, before smirking.

"Anything for my in-laws." The Hokage agreed.

Finally Kizashi Haruno pulled back one of the chairs and took a seat before the Hokage, "Then let's plan out a proper wedding reception for my daughter."

"Ofcourse" Madara nodded his agreement with another smirk.

* * *

Sai returned to the HQ of FoK after his talk with Sasuke. It didn't go as well as he had planned it to be but atleast he learned a few things about this marriage. Sasuke's irritated voice revealed a lot. He had read something about anger and secrets in a book and Sasuke's behaviour only proves that he is hiding something from everyone in this village and is also forcing Sakura to do the same. Well, Sai must report this matter to his leader as soon as possible. With that thought in mind he gave the password knock on the rock wall and the door was immediately pulled open for him. Shino greeted him by a polite nod of his head and the two walked further in to join the others for the discussion about the coming night's events.

"So, how did it go with the Uchiha?" asked Darui, wasting no time on casual greetings.

The dark haired, ex-root nin looked around at all of his comrades' faces. They were all eyeing him expectantly, waiting for a positive response. But instead of facing his leader or any other members of this group, he locked his eyes with the blue irises of the Yamanaka heiress. Amongst all these comrades of Sakura, Ino Yamanaka is the most important one because she is the one who stuck with his pink-haired teammate even when everyone else was questioning her. Ino has played the role of an ideal best friend to perfection- never doubting their friendship. Out of all of these people, the blonde beauty deserves to hear this the most.

And so, he spoke, "It's not Sakura."

And the answer was more than enough to fade everyone's worries. They let out the breaths that they all had been holding in anticipation. Finally, after what felt like an agonizing eternity to Sai, Ino smiled at him. She expressed her approval by the slight nod of her head. That was more than enough for Sai because he may not be good with emotions but he sure as hell felt satisfied after seeing the upward curve in this girl's lips.

"I think Sasuke-kun is threatening her to marry him." He elaborated further.

"Threatening her?! For what?!" Kiba shouted and everyone glared at him, completely ignoring the slight change in Neji's body language. The Hyuga Prodigy was still lost in an inner debate with himself about this whole wedding-thing. He wondered now that Sai has declared to everyone about it being Sasuke's act, should he disclose the whole event as he was present right there when the young Uchiha had threatened the pinkette into marrying him.

"Quiet down, Kiba. We don't have time for Sakura. Right now, stopping the annihilation of another one of the prominent clans of Konoha must be our top priority." Shikamaru said.

"You mean Sakura-san doesn't matter to you!" Lee shrieked.

"Shhh..", Temari hissed, "How much noise are you two going to make before someone finally discovers this hideout? Look! Sai met Sasuke and we have come to know that Sakura isn't doing this by her own wish. She is actually being forced. She hasn't betrayed us. We can simply plan a rescue mission once we are done with this coup d'état."

Both of the men went quiet after hearing the sand kunoichi's words. She was indeed right. Now that they are sure of Sakura's loyalty, focusing on the coup must be the first thing on their mind.

 _I'll tell everyone tomorrow morning, after the coup_. Neji thought and silently nodded to himself.

"Alright." Darui called for everyone's attention, "I think now we must continue with our plan."

As everyone shifted their positions to stand in a circle with Shikamaru, Samui and Darui in the centre, Samui began explaining their plan, "Okay, since Sakura isn't here with us anymore, we'll break into three groups, consisting of four members in each. Every team will have their leader who'll pass commands to the other three. Get it?" she asked.

"Yes!" Everyone affirmed.

"Now, here's the team formation." She pointed towards a board on the right wall of the room, making everyone turn towards it.

It read:  
Team A: Shikamaru, Temari, Samui, Shino.  
Leader: Shikamaru

Team B: Neji, Tenten, Lee, Kiba.  
Leader: Neji

Team C: Darui, Sai, Ino, Chouji.  
Leader: Darui

"Team A will guard the Hyuga Clan's compounds from the right, Team B from the left while Team C will stay on the centre. And we start at Midnight sharp." Samui added.

"Now we have no idea about how the Uchihas are gonna perform this coup. I mean they can send a small group of four anbu or maybe a very big one. So, we can't put a whole clan's life in jeopardy because of our small numbers. Only the twelve of us won't be enough. Thus, I have another team." Darui explained.

"And this team consists of the ex-root members." Shikamaru added drily.

"What?! I thought that group disbanded after Danzo's death?" It was Ino who asked the query, speaking for the first time since this morning.

Everyone was shocked but then Shikamaru answered, "Well..they disbanded but.." He paused, thinking of using the right words to explain the situation.

"But what?!" Kiba urged.

"Most of them still follow Danzo's principles. After the end of the war, they went rogue. Now, their small group of 24 is roaming around different areas of the fire country." Samui finished for all of them.

All the members of FoK shook their head in understanding.

"So I reckon they are on our side?" Temari asked hopefully.

"For now, yes!" Shikamaru spoke in a tight tone.

"For now?!" Kiba yelled, "For now, you say? You mean they can't even be trusted?"

"No..they want the Uchiha's head just as much as we do. That is why they have decided to help our group." said Samui.

"Anyways, this group of twenty-four elites is lead by two ex-anbus namely Kido Tsumiki and his assistant Magire." Shikamaru began again, "Five minutes prior to midnight, Sai will leave his position from Team C and head to the main gates of Konoha. There, he will try to distract the gate guards so that the Ex-Root members are able to sneak in. Then together they will knock out the gate guards and join us back at the Hyuga Compounds."

"So then Sai-kun will come back to Team C?" Ino asked in a soft tone.

"Yes" surprisingly it was Sai who answered, "I'll be right back by your side." And there was that weird fake smile again, which kind of looked real. Ino lowered her eyelashes and smiled back.

"Ok, as soon as Sai re-joins his team, equal number of root nins will also join-up on each of our teams. So this means that each team will gain 8 new members or in total, there'll be 12 members on each team."

"Wow! Overall there'll be 36 of us. I think we may be able to pull this off." Temari cheerfully winked at Shikamaru.

"Yeah!" yelled Lee in excitement.

* * *

That night an extremely troubled and worn-out Sakura returned to her old apartment. Madara Uchiha has allowed her to stay in her small abode until she officially ties the knot with Sasuke. Thanks to her father, who somehow managed to force Madara into agreeing with his wishes. She sighed for the umpteenth time this hour and began fishing-out something from her refrigerator to cook. Not that she is hungry or anything, she is just trying to be civil with the two guards that Sasuke ordered her to keep.

"Wow! This place is really small for even a girl." a sharp tone commented casually.

"Suigetsu-san, that's a very rude remark. Sasuke-sama will not be pleased." spoke the other man's giant companion.

"Oh please, Juugo. It's not like Sasuke is here to hear us. He won't find out."

Suigetsu snickered, resting his huge blade against one corner of the tiny kitchenette.

Sakura eyed the two nuke-nin warily before placing a frying pan on the gas stove. Yes! Ofcourse Madara agreed to allow her stay at her house another few days but Sasuke didnot. As she was exiting the Hokage Tower with her parents, he pushed Suigetsu and Juugo towards her, saying that they will guard her for the time being as there'll be many assassins who will try to kill the new Uchiha Bride. She huffed at the memory and began chopping the radish vigorously. It is clear that Sasuke doesn't trust her with their deal. He thinks that she will actually try to escape this village and go missing. If he doesn't trust her now, then how will he trust her after their marriage.

 _Marriage_. It sounded so weird to even think about it. _Him and Her_ performing all those rituals and tying the knot in an eternal bond. She is really very scared about this whole matter. She doesn't know if Sasuke will treat her right but knowing Sasuke, the treatment will be cold. Way too cold...She snorted in disgust. Who would've thought that she'd actually be able to fulfil her childhood dream?

"Need any help, Sakura-san?" Juugo asked politely, towering behind her.

A genuine smile made it's way on her lips and she turned around to face the gentleman. Who cares about Sasuke's behaviour? Atleast she'll have a kind-hearted companion by her side. And with that hopeful thought, she spoke,

"Sure, Juugo-san."

* * *

 ** _So that's all for now. I hope you lovelies enjoyed reading. I know this chapter is kind of a filler but don't worry more SasuSaku and InoSai coming in the next chapters._**

 **|Read|Review|Share|**

 **~Manika**


	11. -:A Deal Kept!:-

**Posted on: 10/03/17**

 **A/N: Hi Guys! Sorry for the wait. But here's a quick update! I actually didn't feel like updating since no was reviewing...:(**

 **Please forgive any of the errors you find in this chapter and kindly inform me about them. My writing skills are getting rusty XD**

* * *

 ** _"He is a man.._**

 ** _tainted by his pasts..._**

 ** _But I..I will put my faith.._**

 ** _...into him..blindly..."_**

 ** _~Sakura Haruno_**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: A Deal Kept?!**

* * *

 _"Be careful..okay?"_

These are the only words that are resonating in Sai's head again and again as they are the last ones that he heard slipping off of those glossy, peach lips of a very beautiful blonde kunoichi. As every teams took their positions to guard the Hyuga Compounds, Darui ordered him to leave for the beginning of the first part of their plan— to reach the entrance/exit gates of Konoha and rendezvous with the ex-root members for back-up. And it is during this moment when he started leaving that she uttered those words anxiously. Because of the suddenness of her statement, he could not find the right response to give and so, he merely nodded his head towards her.

He sneakily walked down the path that lead to the huge gates of Konoha to avoid any suspicions in the eyes of the patrolling Uchiha sycophants, his mind still lingering on the fact that his blonde, female friend was actually worried about him. The mere thought made him feel shocked, anxious and..happy? Yes! It made him feel kinda..happy...And he realised just how much he wants to fulfil his promise of returning to her and see that satisfied smile on her face. He doesn't know why but he just wants to see her smiling..smiling at him...And he so badly wants to find out what these feelings are but sadly, now that Sakura is gone, no one is there to listen to his emotionally concerned dilemmas. No one..except for Ino that is. But he can't just go up to her and ask her about his feelings for her. That would be too awkward.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and focus on the task at hand. Afterall, he has got a entire clan to save...

* * *

 _"Sakura has this boy forced you to do this?! Is he threatening you with some kind of information?!"  
_

 _"Don't give me that bullshit about how much you used to love him! I know there's more to this abrupt decision."  
_

 _"What makes you think she's yours?"_

The raven-haired teen slammed a hand on the coffee table of his living room, clenching and unclenching his palm continuously. The action barely helped him in getting those accusing comments out of his head. He doesn't understand how everyone is able to guess that Sakura's marriage decision was made entirely because of him forcing it upon her shoulders. No one should think this way. They all must consider her nothing more than a lovesick-damsel who wants to be with him. Yet instead, they were all eyeing him with threatening glares, as if he doesn't deserve her.

He growled in irritation and rubbed his eyes with the pads of his palms. Taking another sip of the mildly-hot, black coffee, he stood-up from his comfortable perch on the couch and picked-up his white haori. Putting it back on, he stepped-out of his newly renovated Uchiha Manor and began walking towards the Hokage Tower. Afterall, he has got a deal to keep...

.

.

After seven fucking-minutes of knocking and waiting at her doorstep, Sasuke motioned his leg to kick open the door to her small apartment. Fortunately at that very moment, the clicking of a latch being unlocked and a knob being turned, caught his ears and he lowered his foot back on the ground. The door opened to him and he was greeted by that amused, toothy-grin of one Suigetsu Hozuki. He had expected- no- wanted his annoying, pink-haired ex-teammate to greet him. He glared hard at the bright grin on his underling's face. It is almost as if the white-haired nin had been expecting his visit. And so he asked in a no-nonsense tone despite of the irritating grin on Suigetsu's face.

"Where is she?"

His question made the young swordsman widen his grin and he answered teasingly, "Sorry Sasuke but your fiancé is sleeping."

That irked the young Uchiha and he sneered at the former mist shinobi in distaste. But before Sasuke could take any action to injure him, Juugo pulled Suigetsu back inside the house and then, out the came girl he had been wanting to see. He noticed how pale her face looked in comparison to the day she had come in with his men to put forth her request about going against the headstrong Madara Uchiha and saving an entire clan.

The whole turn of events flashed back in his mind's eyes as he recalled how he had walked out of his Mansion towards the Hokage Tower and then immediately taken an about turn to head back. He knew that if he went and asked Madara about this deal then he would blatantly refuse to even consider the request. So he returned to the newly built Uchiha Compound and instead decided to pay a visit to his Uncle Obito Uchiha. There, after facing an onslaught of deliberate interrogation and suspicious glares, he was informed about the Anbu Team who has been appointed the task of annihilating the Hyuga Clan. Thus, he rushed into the ANBU Department and searched for the mentioned team. Surprisingly, everything went way too smoothly for him to believe. He just stepped in and ordered them to terminate their mission and they agreed. With drooping shoulders, they lowered their heads to bow before him in acceptance of the command given to them by the Great Grandson of Madara Uchiha.

And that is exactly what he told her, "The Hyugas are safe."

Her response came in the form of a slow nod of her head. Nothing more? He had finally expected her to slip out of her uninterested façade and throw her arms around him in a tight hug. He had expected her to reward him with a warm, loving embrace and butterfly kisses. And yet he received none of it. Sasuke Uchiha will never admit it in words but beneath that layer of his dark, conceited, twisted persona, he has always enjoyed being the centre of her attention. There is a sadistic sort of satisfaction in being able to manipulate her emotions and dominate her actions. But now that she isn't behaving like the easily submissive girl that she used to be, he isn't amused. He is irritated by her response or lack thereof.

So he decided to let her be. For now atleast...

Leaning towards her frail form, he lowered his face so that his lips were now touching her earlobe. She jumped slightly in fright and he felt sated by her action. If she isn't going to flinch then he will make her. And so he left her apartment, uttering a bunch of few spine-chilling words.

"I kept our deal by fulfilling your request. Now its your turn to return the favour."

* * *

 _I kept our deal by fulfilling your request. Now its your turn to return the favour._

The words kept ringing in her head, preventing her from getting any sleep at all. But still..she smiled at the fact that atleast he kept his promise and granted her request. Now all that she has to do is remain calm and marry him... _Marry_.. _Him_? The thought scares Sakura more than she can ever explain and now that her marriage has been declared in front of the whole village, even her friends despise her. No one will listen to her..even if she tries to make them understand...

With a sigh, she laid down on her bed again to try and go to sleep. Yet as soon as she closed her eyelids, the face of a raven-haired boy flashed before her mind's eyes and she shot up. ... _its your turn to return the favour_. His words rang again, making her clutch tightly onto the comforter. She glimpsed-down at her white knuckles before letting out a frustrated screech.

Immediately the door to her room pushed-open to reveal the white-haired rogue shinobi. By his widened-eyes, she guessed that he had been sleeping soundly and only woke-up due to the noise of her screech. She glared at him for invading her privacy and entering her bedroom unpermitted. But her eyes didn't stay that way for long as her anger faded and she returned into her previous state of sulking. Hissing at her own behaviour for no reason, she threw aside the comforter and hopped out of the bed. Then, with a last glance at the mist shinobi, she walked out of her bedroom and to his surprise, out of her apartment as well. She knew that the two of them will follow her, so she waited silently outdoors.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Suigetsu muttered in an agitated tone.

"It has nothing to do with you." She answered simply and closed the main door of her house, not even bothering to lock it. Both Juugo and Suigetsu exchanged a worried glance and then began walking after the girl to follow her on her trip to wherever she was going.

.

.

She stopped before the Konoha Hospital and Suigetsu glanced questioningly at Juugo, to which he responded with a shrug. What could she possibly want to do at the hospital in the middle of the night? They wanted to ask her but they feared that it might anger her to the point of breaking their bones and so, they refrained themselves and followed her inside. They passed various corridors until finally reaching a more secluded part of the building. There, at the end, they spotted a small storage room, which the pinkette pulled open. She rummaged through the several drawers and pulled her hand out on finding the object of her interest— a small bronze-coated key with room number: 767 etched over it.

She left the storage and so did the two rogue nins..ofcourse after Juugo properly closed all the opened drawers and the door to the room. Once again, they continued trailing down the corridors until they reached the opposite side of the secluded part of the building. There, at the end, Sakura stopped before the last door and just as she brought-up the previously acquired bronze-key to unlock the doors, she found that there was no need for it. The door to that room was already unlocked and left ajar. Her muscles tensed at the thought of an intruder and she cautiously peeked-inside. Her emeralds began widening when they caught sight of the occupants inside and she pushed open the door completely.

"Konohamaru! Kurenai-sensei!" She gasped.

Both Suigetsu and Juugo looked confusedly at the two people whom the pinkette addressed. One was a young boy with spiky, brown hair, 14-years old on an average while the other was a curly, black-haired woman with a pair of scarlet irises. There was nothing striking about the two except for the huge, protruding belly of the woman, signifying that she is pregnant. She frowned at them and then turned to face the female standing beside them.

"Sakura", She uttered in a short greeting.

"Kurenai-sensei wh-what? What are you doing here?" The pink-haired girl asked worriedly.

"Isn't it obvious? Since I had the spare key.." , the lady answered with ease, "I'm here to see him."

With that response being given, both Sakura and the woman named Kurenai averted their eyes towards the unmoving person lying on the cot inside that room— Kakashi Hatake. His hair was as silvery as ever and there was not even the slightest bit of difference in his handsome features. And even though the thought of checking out that mysterious face of his was endearing, they decided to let the mask stay over his lips, right above the bridge of his nose. Anyone would be shocked to hear that he is comatose as there is not even an ounce of change in him. But the happenings of that day are crystal clear in Sakura's memories. It was the same day that they took down Naruto that Obito pulled Kakashi into his world of Kamui but on his return, she saw him holding a pale and lifeless form of her former sensei. No one really knows what happened to her teacher inside that dimension. It is a secret that is going to stay with Obito Uchiha for the rest of his dark life.

As she stared at the unmoving form of her teacher, the barrier of her emotions came crashing down and she began sobbing hysterically. If only she would've broken her promise to them— to her team and intervened in those battles then maybe not only Kakashi-sensei would've been here but also Naruto would've been...alive.. It's always like this, isn't it? It is always her fault because she is never strong enough to support her cherished teammates and comrades. She began sobbing harder, making her body shake with the emotional breakdown. Throwing her head at her silently breathing teacher's chest, she wept some more.

"I'm sorry.." She muttered, making all the occupants gasp in shock.

"...I'm sorry..I'm so, so, so sorry, Sensei..In the end, I left you alone to shoulder all the burden...It's all my fault!..." She kept sobbing in self-loathing.

No one made any move to calm or comfort her trembling form. Suigetsu and Juugo watched the kunoichi in confusion whilst Konohamaru himself began shedding tears. It was Kurenai who charged straight ahead and began questioning her, "I heard you are getting married to Sasuke Uchiha."

Sakura felt the woman put extreme emphasis on the surname of her fiancé and whipped her head-up to stare directly into the irked crimson irises of the lady. By the looks of it, she wasn't impressed much by Sakura's decision. It was more like she felt disgusted by the prospect of her marriage.

For some unknown reason, Sakura's anger began surfacing and she asked in a tight tone, "What's so bad about it?"

"Bad you say? Why are you even marrying him?" The woman placed her red-painted fingernails on her chin in a contemplating posture and asked, "Let me guess! It's because you still love him?!"

Sakura gasped, her eyes widening at the same time.

"Or maybe.." The woman continued, "..it's because he promised you something?!"

The pinkette was at a loss of words. She had never expected that anyone would be able to read into her lies so easily. Ino realised that something isn't right with this marriage but even she couldn't point out anything valid. Yet here this old colleague of her sensei has managed to come-up with the most fitting probabilities without even taking any time. Guess experience really teaches people a lot.

"You must not do this." The woman stated, "Sasuke is not right for you. Why do you even trust him with his promise? Do you think he'll actually keep the deal?!"

"He _did_ keep his promise!" Sakura shouted in the woman's face.

"Really now? I thought he was just a selfish, conceited, good-for-nothing brat who-"

"Shut up!"

Kurenai was stopped midway in her rant by the yelling words of Juugo. She flinched at the intensity of his loud tone and looked-up at the now half monster like, orange-haired man standing infront of her, ready to pounce at any moment. If it wouldn't have been for Suigetsu holding him back, then both she and the young life inside her womb would've been dead by now.

"Juugo! Dude! Calm down! The woman didn't mean to offend Sasuke." Suigetsu tried cajoling his friend but to no avail. The beast kept thrashing wildly in his hold.

In an instant, Sakura moved to stand before Juugo and placed her palms on both sides of his forehead. She began channelling her calm chakra through the network of the offensive chakra circulating in his cerebrum in hopes of receding the quickly spreading black, cursed marks before they take over his gentle persona completely. She failed to notice the sequential weaving of hand-signs behind her back and gasped again when she was harshly shoved to the side by the curly haired woman, who was now inching her palms closer and closer towards Juugo's contorted face. Forming a cross with her palms, she slammed them directly at the guy's eyes and immediately, Juugo's shoulders began sagging before he finally entered the realms of a dreamless sleep.

Suigetsu glared at her, "Lady! What did you do?!"

"Don't worry it's a simple genjutsu. He'll be back to normal by the time he wakes-up." Kurenai explained.

"That's not the right way to treat such type of panic attacks." Sakura muttered from her cross-legged sitting position on the floor.

"Oh! So according to you it was a panic attack?" The woman taunted.

"Yes!" Sakura answered without a beat, "..and I could've treated it properly if you wouldn't have put your nose into the matter."

"Ohhkay, I guess we must leave now, right aunty?" Konohamaru muttered, biting his tongue.

"Yes..we must leave." The woman stroked her belly and turned away towards the door to exit the room.

"By the way, Sakura, " she called from the threshold and craned her head back to look at the young medic, "I would still like you to deliver my baby."  
The girl nodded sternly.

"...and, " she added a second later, "don't trust Sasuke too much..."

With those last words uttered as her parting, the older woman departed with her nephew from her husband's side, leaving Sakura gaping at the wide open door in surprise and confusion.

* * *

The night was silent, expressing the famous saying: a calm before the storm. Members of the FoK were waiting patiently at their assigned hidden spots outside the Hyuga Compounds in order to protect the remaining lives of the clansmen. Amongst this small group of rebels sat Neji Hyuga, holding the palm of his trustworthy, chocolate-brown-eyed teammate, trying to keep his mind from conjuring-up seeds of doubts about the dealings between a certain pink-haired comrade and a traitorous Uchiha. Not only are the anbus of Madara Uchiha already late by half an hour but also, Sai has yet to return and rejoin his squad. He is wondering what's taking him this long.

As if right on cue, the black-haired, ex-root nin arrived at the compounds. Neji watched him interact with Darui whilst introducing all those former root nins. After their small talk ended, everyone dispersed and Neji saw a group of 8 men approaching his team. The men simply joined their group; no casual exchange of greetings or introductions.

After that, they all continued their wait silently...

To everyone's dismay, no one arrived even after a time lapse of two hours. But..somewhere around 3 o' clock or so, Neji heard the clattering of something huge and brittle. At first, he decided to pay no heed to that noise but when a loud scream echoed around the whole compounds, right after that breaking noise, the muscles in Neji's body began tensing and he left the small feminine hand of Tenten to throttle his way towards the cause of distress.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Oh my?! What exactly is happening inside the Hyuga Compounds? Didn't Sasuke affirm that he has kept his part of the deal? 😉 Well...just wait for an update!_**

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 **~Manika🌸**


	12. -:Deal Failed!:-

**A/N: Hi guys! Before you start reading, just make sure to leave review, okay?**

* * *

 ** _"Mourning—  
_**

 ** _I've done that long enough...  
_**

 ** _Standing up to fight..  
_**

 ** _..is what I must do..."  
_**

 ** _-Hinata Hyuga_**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Deal Failed!**

* * *

The black and white vision of his byakugan didn't help him much in deducing the situation currently occurring inside the Hyuga Compounds but still...he continued his search through every single room inside the place. Deep down, in the recesses of his reserved heart, he had always known that Sasuke wouldn't keep his promise. He knew he shouldn't have trusted that traitorous asshole and yet he did! He trusted that damned, conceited, bratty Uchiha all for the sake of his camaraderie with Sakura. Her eyes..the look she had given him was one full of faith and...selflessness... Damn that Uchiha! Sakura wholeheartedly put her faith in him and Sasuke..he simply trampled on her trust!

Once he is done with the situation at hand, he'll make sure to strangle that young prodigy to hell and back just so he can kill him again!

At that very instant, another deathly scream pierced his ears and he whipped his head to the right— the direction which leads to the quarters of the Main Family Members. _Hinata_ , he thought worriedly and his face paled even more because it truly had been the scream of his young, cousin sister. He positioned his legs and immediately took-off in the direction of her chambers.

When he slammed-open the door though, he felt no signs of life inside the room. A quick inspection with his byakugan confirmed his observations. He sighed haggardly and ran around to check on the other members of the main family and that is when he heard it— a very meek but comprehensible sob of distress. Following the strange weeping noises, he reached the place where they had been emanating from. It was the room that belonged to the Head of their family, Hiashi Hyuga. Quickly sliding open the door, he found a solemn-looking Hanabi standing in one corner of the room and the owner of the wailing voice, his younger sister Hinata. She was holding onto something..no someone to be precise, her hands clutching at the person's form with a desperation he had never seen in her. On stepping closer he himself nearly screamed at the sight for the person she was holding in her arms was none other than her father. And..he wasn't breathing...

When the members of the FoK and the Hyuga clansmen arrived at the quarters of the Main Family, they were met by the sight of an uncontrollably weeping Hinata and a combination of a sorrowful but incredibly enraged Neji. Contrary to them, their younger sister Hanabi was sobbing quietly in one corner of the room. Everyone began murmuring amongst themselves, wondering about the behaviour of the three young Hyugas when suddenly their eyes landed upon the lifeless body of an elderly man whom they soon recognised to be Hiashi Hyuga.

"Oh my!" gasped Ino and quickly covered her mouth. Tears were already brimming her eyes and she immediately joined the sobbing Hinata in her grief-stricken state.

"How did this happen?!" yelled an elderly Hyuga lady at Neji for the branch members are still not treated properly.

"I don't know." He replied without a beat.

The Hyuga kin began crowding around the body of their honourable leader's limp body. The elderly woman began chanting some sort of old family prayer for the departed while the others joined in. After the short death ceremony, they collected the body and decided to take it to a safer spot. Neji balled his fists at that. What place in this humongous compound can be safer than the leader's room?! More importantly who can commit such a crime? Sai should've known about this! Why didn't he?! Wait a moment! Was Sai's information false one all along? It must be. Maybe..maybe the annihilation of the clan was just a farce. Maybe the Hokage had been after the leader's head ever since the beginning. _Dammit!_

Two thin, feminine arms embraced him from behind and he gripped tightly at the palms of the woman as he recognised her familiar chakra signature. He is fortunate enough that even after being mad at him because of his support for Sakura, Tenten is here to comfort him. Not only that, a warm hand squeezed his shoulder and he turned around to face his long time frenemy Lee.

"I'm sorry man." Darui spoke from the side. Sympathy will not quench the fire in Neji's soul but he knows that there is nothing more that their leader can do but mourn alongside him as a shinobi.

"I had never expected that the Uchihas might do something so...underhanded." uttered a sly voice.

The three turned around to see a deathly serious Kido Tsumiki smirking in their direction. He nodded his head at them and went on, "I know that this is not the time and place to be discussing such pressing matters but..who will become the next leader of the Hyuga Clan?"

"You need not worry about that."

To everyone's shock, Hinata was the one who answered Kido's query. Her voice sounded quite broken yet confident at the same time, "I will take-over my father's position and become the new leader."

The whole place went dead-silent by her sudden declaration. It was only after a minute or two that the elderly woman from before began snickering. Soon, a few other older members of their clan joined the lady in her laugh. Members of the FoK exchanged confused glances and smiled awkwardly at the scenario occurring before their eyes. The elders of the Hyuga Clan were literally mocking the daughter of their deceased leader?

"And just who gave you the right to declare such statements?" An elder man spoke-up. He was barely able to lift his fingers but he still tried pointing them at the young Heiress.

"B-But I..." Hinata stopped midway of her retort and tilted her head down in defeat.

"Pardon us, Lady Hinata but you aren't worthy of the title of a leader. This task must be handled by someone with more experience and knowledge about the clan." The elder explained further with utter seriousness in his tone.

"We shall choose a new candidate for that position after a proper discussion amongst ourselves." The old lady added afterwards.

"B-But I-"

Hinata tried to retort but was immediately cut-off by the elder lady, "You are weak, inexperienced and have yet to master the capabilities of your byakugan. You are not even worthy enough to be a part of the candidature. So keep silent young lady and let us decide."

"Uh-um..okay..." muttered Hinata dejectedly.

Members of the clan began comparing her skills to that of her younger sister and even went on to criticise her, not bothering that she was standing close enough to hear their words. The death of their leader doesn't faze them in the least. They are more interested in gossiping about her skills and stature as a daughter of the clan's leader. Angered by their actions, Neji tried freeing himself from Tenten's hug to give those damned members a piece of his mind but desisted his movements right when Hinata turned around to face him and shook her head. She doesn't want him to get into any trouble for trying to protect her dignity like he always does.

With a worried sigh, Darui clapped his hands to call for the attention of his teammates, "Lets leave."

And without any defiance, every member of the FoK followed his command.

* * *

"Those bastards had some nerve to degrade our Hinata!" Kiba yelled, landing a punch to the wall of their HQ.

With the way they were sitting around in silence, everyone seemed to be busy in their own little world. The events that occurred a few hours ago have left every single one of them in a state of shock. No one is able to put two and two together. The Uchihas placed the bait and the FoK took it without any hints of doubts in their minds.

The behaviour of the elderly Hyuga Clansmen is an equally awful matter. The older members of the clan are supposed to look after and properly guide and support the younger members of their family. On the contrast, they showed their narrow-mindedness by not only disrespecting but also mocking the daughter of their late leader. If there's one thing that needs a change in this clan then it's surely the ruling system and distinctions. And this is why Hinata hastily declared herself to be the next head, hoping that by gaining such a position of power, she might be able to overthrow the old rules, regulations and traditions followed and practiced in her clan. But sadly, the majority of members are elders and they do not deem her worthy enough to be a successor.

"They know nothing about Hinata." Shino spoke-up for the first time in a solemn tone.

The guy hardly ever expresses his thoughts in speech. Only times one would witness him speaking is if it is a really important matter or if the person itself holds high regards in his eyes. He adjusted his shades, trying to hide the frown marring his usually obscured facial expressions. However hard Shino may try, the elder's unjust behaviour towards his teammate has effected him badly. He is sure that if she wouldn't have been so heartbroken about the past events then she would've been handling the clan by now. And that too like the strong lady that she is...

"We don't have time to waste on such matters." Neji negated.

Hinata, who had decided to join the FoK for the first time since the establishment of the small rebel group, smiled at Neji's use of mature words and spoke, "Yes! Neji-nii is right. We-"

Neji cut her off, "I am going over to have a word with that jerk of an Uchiha!"

"Wh-wha-what?!" Hinata panicked.

Not paying any heed to her query, the older Hyuga turned around to make an exit, leaving everyone in a state of utter shock and confusion. Sai is somehow able to understand that the matter about the annihilation of the Hyuga Clan and the situation of Sasuke and Sakura's marriage are related to each-other. Thus, he followed the angry Hyuga Prodigy on his way, saying, "I'll join you."

"No you will not." came Neji's blazingly immediate response.

When Darui quirked a brow questioningly at the Hyuga, Shikamaru yawned loudly to diffuse the tension permeating in the whole area. The young Nara genius stood-up from his perch between Chouji and Temari, all the while stretching his limbs to feel more at ease.

"I have absolutely no idea about what is going on here, "he muttered in Neji's direction and then faced Sai, "..but I do know that if you accompany Neji in his meeting with the Uchihas then you're position as a full-fledged anbu will be put in jeopardy."

"I must say, smartass here is right." Samui nodded her head at Darui, "If Sasuke or any of the Uchiha becomes suspicious about Sai's connections with Neji Hyuga or any of us, then he will be kicked-out from the anbu and we will no longer be able to gain any knowledge about the plans of the Uchiha government."

"A man spying on the Uchihas from the inside is a major necessity and we must not put him in danger." added Magire, the medical ninja from the root faction. The Root had also decided to join the FoK in their hideout for further discussions and formulations of fresh plans.

After hearing all of the legit reasoning from three members of his rebelling group, Sai slumped his shoulders in defeat and strode back to reoccupy his squatting position next to Ino. All of this mess has made his concerns for Sakura rise even more. He wants to see her as soon as possible but if this can pose as a threat to him and his group in any form then he will refrain from doing so..for now that is...

Having witnessed the whole scenario, Neji began continuing his walk out of the underground base at the Nara Grounds. Since there are no more objections towards his actions, he must take his leave in order to punch a certain Uchiha's egoistical face for breaking his promise to an idiotically innocent medical kunoichi.

* * *

Sakura tried her level best to ignore the creepily grinning blond man standing next to her in the Hokage's room. She doesn't know why but she was asked by Suigetsu to come over here as soon as she woke-up in the morning. After Sasuke made an appearance at her apartment the previous night just to inform her about the cancellation of the annihilation orders regarding the Hyuga clan, she had a really carefree sleep. Although she can't say the same for her present situation. For some reason, the guy named Deidara is not taking his eyes off of her and it is starting to get creepier by every passing second.

"So..how does it feel like?" All of a sudden, the yellow-haired man asked cheerfully.

She tried to feign ignorance by faking her interest in the scenery outside the window. The last time she opened up to these strange rogue shinobis proved to be an extreme disaster. Turns out that both Sasori and Deidara were merely distracting her and before she could comprehend anything, her chakra reserves were constrained using some kind of unknown jutsu casted on her by the enigmatic medic Kabuto Yakushi. The thin, snake-like golden bracelet on her left wrist is a constant reminder of the incident and she believes that this little ornament is what is actually keeping her chakra bounded. If only she can find some method to break or unclasp it, then she'll regain her original strength and punch these guys in their faces for messing her up.

"You know..being an _Uchiha_. How does it feel?" He elaborated on his question to make her understand.

She smiled cheekily at that and felt an abrupt spike in Sasuke's chakra signature. The silently standing Obito Uchiha leaned a bit outwards away from his position in one corner of the room which he was trying to use in order to keep himself from getting irritated by the presence of others. Even Kabuto, who was perched-down in the opposite corner of the room adjusted his shades to express his disinterest in the matter when in reality all of these men are actually on the edge, waiting anxiously for her response. The moment she motioned her lips to give a snide reply to the blond ninja's query, another voice spoke-up.

"Ofcourse she feels Pride. She is a part of the most prestigious clan in the world of shinobis." Madara Uchiha answered, flashing that conceited smirk towards his daughter-in-law.

Sakura could do nothing more than return the gesture with one of her own awkward smiles. Great! Just when she is about to criticise this arrogant clan, their menacing leader appears! She has to admit that her fear for the man has decreased a bit yet not enough for her to raise her voice against him. So she stood there silently, wondering if this morning can get any worse.

As if on cue, the door to the Hokage's room slammed open and an extremely agitated Neji Hyuga stormed towards the desk before which the Hokage was now seated. Sakura was too shocked by the intense glare on his face to even take note of Sasuke's dangerously glinting Mangekyou. What could've possibly happened to put the Hyuga Prodigy so out of his composure?

"Anything I can help you with, Hyuga-san?" asked Madara with an eerie smile gracing his features.

"No! Hokage-sama..I just came here to inform you about the sudden death of the leader of our clan." Neji stopped to flash a spiteful glare at Sasuke and then added, "Hiashi Hyuga is dead."

Sakura gasped at the news and turned around to stare confusedly at an equally baffled Sasuke.

"Just one?" Madara teased.

"What?!" Neji gritted out.

"I mean...are you sure that only one of your clansmen died?" Madara asked, casually resting his head atop his palm. Deidara and Kabuto snickered at the small joke.

"Ofcourse only one! And you..how could you?!" Neji accused angrily.

Sakura stood dumfound, watching the scenario with her mouth agape. How is this possible? How can something like this even occur? Didn't she and Sasuke make a deal about this? And he also came by at her apartment last night to inform her about his success in cancellation of that order. So then..was he..did Sasuke actually lie to her about all this?

 _Do you think he'll actually keep the deal?!_ Kurenai's words began resonating in her head.

"Annihilating the clan was never your agenda. From the very beginning you were plotting to murder our leader!" Neji yelled in despise for the eldest Uchiha in the room.

As if that remark had touched an aching nerve, the room's atmosphere changed. The intensity of Madara Uchiha's dark chakra engulfed the whole surrounding, making Sakura shiver and inch closer towards her ex-teammate. She finally noticed the fiercely spinning tomoes of his sharingan and tensed. A desperate urge to escape this place and find out about all the details of this happening began churning in her belly. What does Neji mean by plotting a murder? Were the anbus only ordered to assassinate Hiashi Hyuga? Why?! And how?! How can the Hokage cheat like this?! Can somebody please explain what's going on here?! She slapped a hand on her forehead in frustration and motioned her lips to speak. But before she could utter even a single revolting word, Sasuke smacked her mouth shut by his own, cold palm, warning her about the scary consequences of intervening.

Madara stood-up from his chair and marched forward so as to stand directly before Neji's face. He grinned at the younger shinobi, threatening him with his piercing red irises. Looks like the eldest Uchiha doesn't enjoy being yelled at.

"Alright Hyuga-san, let us suppose that we did plan out an annihilation or a murder or whatever you said." The old man began circling the Hyuga and continued, "But still..how come you know about all of this? I don't recall you being a part of the men that work under me."

That literally sent chills down Sakura's spine. Shit! He shouldn't have said that! Whatever may have happened last night at the Hyuga Compounds is one thing but talking about this annihilation is simply like asking for their own death. Accusing them about a crime that was supposed to be a clandestine act has put him in the position of jeopardy. What if Madara tortures him for saying this? What if he utilises this torture as a means to find out about the others involved. The whole FoK is in for a very troublesome situation and nothing but Neji Hyuga's frustration and anger are to be blamed.

"I..uh.." Neji muttered, trying to hide how terrified he actually was.

* * *

 _SHIT!_ Neji muttered under his breath.

What has he done? He should've listened to the others instead of barging into the office of the Hokage and yelling like an idiot. Anger eats away the senses. He must be more controlled when it comes to his frustrations. He needs to learn more about keeping emotions in check. Just what kind of a man is he? He has not only broken one of the most important rules as a qualified shinobi but also brought disgrace to the Hyuga Clan. In his state of blind rage, he failed to desist his continuously moving tongue and ended-up blurting out about Madara's hideous plans directly at his face. Shit! Shit! Shit! What will this guy do now? Will Madara pass an order for him being tortured and interrogated? Well..even if he does get tortured, he will die silently without uttering even a single word about the FoK or about their rebelling plans. Yes! This will be the best for everyone.

He noticed Sakura anxiously staring at him and couldn't help himself from glaring at the youngest Uchiha. Wait! Sakura! What if Sasuke torments her for all this? Will she be able to cope with it after going through a lot of mental trauma? He must play his cards right.

"I..uh.." he muttered, glancing worriedly at the pinkette, whose mouth was currently shut by the Uchiha's palm. She looked confused and anxious. She wants to speak-out to protect him but no..Neji knows that Sakura must not bother about his life. She must be more careful about her own self. But...What should he say? From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Madara patiently waiting for a response from him— a response that will decide whether he'll breathe or get tortured, whether Sakura will be spared or die...

* * *

Sasuke could clearly see the fear swirling in the eyes of the Hyuga Prodigy. Afterall, there's nothing that the Mangekyou can't see. He noticed how Sakura continued to fidget under his hold and even tried to move her lips. He strengthened the hold of his palm around her lips. There is no need to even think who informed Neji Hyuga about the annihilation of the Hyugas- it was Sakura. He is sure it was her because she herself knew about this secret mission assigned to the Anbu Division. She knew..which is exactly why she came on her will to meet him and make a deal by giving him her hand in marriage. But she has no right to speak. She has no right to help her friend. He was so enthralled by her sight after such a long time that he totally forgot to question her about how she knew. He will make sure to do so later on.

He caught the Hyuga glancing worriedly at her and unconsciously, his glare intensified. If Neji thinks that he can protect Sakura by giving some kind of appropriate response then he is mistaken. What happens with Sakura, is none of his concerns and Sasuke will make sure of it!

"I..uh.." The Hyuga muttered, failing to come-up with any good reasons to evade this current problematic situation that he has landed himself into. There's simply no way he can escape this one.

And yet Sasuke's evil thoughts were interrupted by loud knocking noises, which made him tear his gaze away from staring amusedly at the somewhat freaked-out Hyuga Genius to focus it on the door of the room. He scoffed. Whoever is waiting at the other end must go to hell like for ever because as far as his analysis goes, the Hokage is in a mood too sour to even allow someone entrance. The person however, didn't care about the consequences of walking in without prior permission from the kage and with one turn of the knob, opened the door and entered. Everyone took in the skinny appearance of a young man, adorning a Coyote Anbu Mask to hide his identity.

"Yo Sai!" From behind him, Suigetsu greeted the intruder with eagerness and familiarity, somehow diffusing the room off the dark aura that it was surrounded by. Oh right! Suigetsu and Sai do work on the same anbu team.

Like he had read in some guide on human etiquettes, the guy nodded mechanically towards his sharp-toothed acquaintance with a practiced smile that Sasuke hates so damn much and then he turned around to bow before the Hokage.

"Pardon my intrusion, Hokage-sama. I have been sent here by my senior officials to fetch Neji-san as quickly as possible. He is needed at the procession of the Funeral Ceremony being held for their deceased leader." He informed all of this to the leader of the village without so much as faltering even once.

Since no one uttered any replies to his statement, he bowed his head again at the kage and took hold of Neji's shoulder, roughly dragging him out of the room and also, out of the building. It was a surprise how Madara showed no reaction to the young man's rude gesture of leaving the place alongside the Hyuga without even asking for permission from the hokage.

Everyone's anticipation came to an end when the Hokage turned away from the door to flash a livid glare in their direction. Now that the anbu officer has left with the Hyuga, he has no one but these remaining people inside the room to inflict his wrath upon. Subconsciously, Sasuke lowered his palm down from Sakura's lips and trailed it along her neck to her torso, finally resting it securely around her waist. He pulled her closer towards himself in a death grip and then tilted his head down to whisper in her ear.

" _Do not speak a word._ " He muttered the command, somewhat distraught about her experiencing Madara's fury.

He lifted his head up just as quickly as he had tilted it down so as to make sure his great grandfather wouldn't notice him warning his soon-to-be bride. It is his fault that he forgot to inform Madara about the termination of that annihilation. He didn't inform his grandfather right away at night because that would've angered him and put him into the position of an untrustworthy grandson. But it is the first thing that he must have done when he woke-up this morning and yet he didnot because the thoughts of an exotic pinkette's aloof behaviour towards him kept his mind completely occupied. Damn it!

* * *

Sakura didn't squirm but she sure as hell wanted to pinch herself again and again to make sure that she wasn't loitering around in some crazy dream. Sasuke just removed the palm that he had initially smacked on her lips to keep her mouth shut. She felt him lowering his palm in a slow motion from her neck down towards her torso to finally place it around her waist, pulling her closer towards himself in a grip which was deathly tight. And she almost missed his words when he bent his head to whisper in her ear.

" _Do not speak a word._ " He commanded and immediately tilted his head up.

She was curious about the suddenness of his actions but decided to follow his words anyway. Thankfully, Madara averted his gaze away from Obito right after that moment, missing Sasuke's act just by a hair's breadth. She is wondering about what would've happened if the eldest Uchiha might've seen Sasuke warning her. Though she wasn't spared much time to ponder on that thought as the long, spiky-haired elder kicked the desk in the room to dissipate some of his flaring anger.

"Who ordered for the termination of this plan?!" Madara yelled in their faces.

Sakura has seen an array of emotions on Sasuke's usually apathetic visage. They range from the different shades of fury to that of pure contempt. She has witnessed him in his moments of amusement, sorrow and even— she daresay— jealousy but not even once in her life has she felt what she is feeling at present from Sasuke's persona— fear! She literally felt a tremor from his bones, from the body of the stubborn yet valiant Sasuke Uchiha. Even the possibility of him being afraid of something or someone brought about a sense of unreasonable disappointment in Sakura for she has always envisioned him as a brave young man.

"It wasn't me, Lord Hokage." Obito bowed his head respectfully at his grandfather before continuing, "Sasuke visited me last night and asked about the squadrons who had been assigned this task. I questioned him to which he answered ambiguously, not at all explaining anything properly. And then, he simply left."

Sakura gaped at the man with shock. For one, she was baffled about his use of such formal language with his own relative. Now who would address their own grandfather as 'Lord Hokage' ? And secondly, he doesn't completely know? Sasuke must have told him about the abortion of the plan? Right? She was beyond lost with this conversation. She had no idea of what to think of these three blood-related men who regard each-other more like distant colleagues working in the same company.

The Hokage turned his black orbs to glance questioningly at Sasuke. However, the raven-haired teen didnot respond and continued staring down into space, looking at no one or no thing in particular. Sakura wondered if he is still scared to answer. No wait! Maybe he isn't scared to answer..maybe..maybe he is just scared of the consequences of spilling-out the truth. Well in this case, she will be more than willing to assist him.

"It was me." There was a constantly nagging voice in her head, telling her to keep quiet but oh well, its too late. She already stated her answer firm and loud, earning the undivided attention of every man inside the room. She even caught the faint whistle-blowing noise made by Suigetsu, mocking her for her act of bravery infront of the great, feared Madara Uchiha.

"You?" asked Kabuto, grinning like a maniac in the corner of the room.

"Yes! Since now, I am a part of this clan, I have the power to agree or disagree on matters discussed in this family before putting forth the proper orders. So I requested Sasuke to abort this mission." She explained, trying to keep a straight face with the legendary Uchiha.

He scoffed and regained his sitting position over the chair, resting his arms atop the desk that he had kicked a mere seconds ago. " _Why_ did you request for something like this from my grandson?"

She gulped at the latest question presented to her by the kage. She sneaked a glance at Sasuke, who was looking disbelievingly at her and shook his head. No help from him; just as she had expected. If she plays the right cards and chooses her words wisely then she may be able to impress him. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and the past evens from a few days ago flashed before her vision. An idea struck her immediately! A very risky idea. But hey! What's life without any risks?

She straightened her posture, trying to free herself of Sasuke's hold but failed miserably. Sighing, she gave-up on that and stared directly at the older man who was waiting for her response. Mustering as much strength and confidence as she could, she spoke, "Because I'd rather sacrifice my own life than let a countless innocent ones be taken away, Ojii-sama..."

Obito audibly gasped at her use of a very familiar title for the Hokage while the others stood equally shocked, exchanging weird glances. The tight grip of Sasuke's arm around her waist actually loosened due to the shock of her words. She doesn't care about the multitude of diverse expressions on the faces of these men. What matters more is the opinion of Madara Uchiha. As she looked expectantly at the Hokage, awaiting a response, she saw a sudden flash of an unknown emotion in those black pools of his.

"And _who_ exactly informed you about this annihilation?" Madara asked, slightly amused.

" _I_ did." came Sasuke's instant response, to which his grandfather quirked a brow.

"Koishii is a part of our clan now, so she deserves to know everything that's going on in our family." The young prodigy answered without even a hint of unease, playing along with the pinkette in her game of titles.

"Well then..since my granddaughter has decided to spare those weak Hyugas, I am left with no choice but to agree on the matter." Madara spoke, well-aware of their silly game, "Leaving that aside, let us focus more on the preparations of your marriage."

The smirk he flashed at Sakura reminded her so much of Sasuke and she found it difficult to speak infront of that smug facial expression. Still, she uttered a quick 'yes', followed by the bowing of her head in respect and stumbled out of the room as Sasuke pulled her along with him.

* * *

She had thought that exiting the Hokage's Tower will bring some sense of relief to her tense muscles. And yet, the opposite happened when she was hauled at the nearest tree by a very livid Sasuke Uchiha. He immediately placed his arms on both the sides of the tree's trunk so as to allow no escape. For reasons unknown, he glared at her, urging her to speak. But she didnot for how can she say something when she doesn't even know what he wants to hear?! She glared right back at him.

"Tell me." He grunted.

"Tell you what?" She asked.

"You know." He gritted out.

"I do not." She answered honestly.

Oh! So now she is playing dumb? With the Hokage she was having fun playing titles! What's next? What game is she going to play next for the purpose of amusing herself by these Uchihas? She knows exactly what this is about. She knows what is making him so angry and yet she is toying with him! Toying with him?! With the Sasuke Uchiha?! He searched those emeralds of hers thoroughly, looking for even the tiniest of hints that may lead him to his answer. And it struck his brain at that very instant— a memory to be precise. He recalled the entrance and exit of a man hiding his face behind a Coyote Anbu Mask. Yes! It has been confirmed. Someone who is exceptionally good at hiding his emotions. A person like Sai is the best suited to work in the Anbu Black Ops. But..a person like him is equally suitable for the job of a double-agent. Ofcourse it is that black-haired lookalike of his, who must have told Sakura about the annihilation. Why he did so, is what matters the most right now. And Sasuke will make sure to find out.

He chuckled at her innocent façade and looked straight into her eyes. That goal set in mind, he left her and made his way towards the Sacred Hyuga Burial Grounds. If she wants to play, then he will play. Just..by altering the rules a little bit more to his own liking...

* * *

 **A/N: So..a lot of P.o.V. swiyching in this one. Sorry..I just wanted to describe the scene from everyone's perspective. Lolz :D**

 **Ojii : Informal way of addressing your grandfather in Japanese.**

 **Koishii : literally means 'Beloved' in Japanese.**

 ** _And that's all! Did you guys enjoy reading it?  
What do you think about Hinata so far? She is finally back and ready to kick some ass!  
_**

 ** _What do you think about Neji?  
_**

 ** _Did you like Sakura's little game? What do you think of Sasuke?  
_**

 ** _What do you think will Sasuke do to Sai?_**

 **|Follow|Review|Share|**

 **Until Next Time...**

 **~Manika**


	13. -:Moving Forward:-

**Posted on: 15/03/18**

 **A/N: Hey guys!**

 **Um..eh hem..please just don't kill me. You can all gang up and beat the shit out of me but do realise that I am human too. Since the past 3 years my life has been a mess and let's just say some personal things are making it really hard for me to write.**

 **I'd like to thank my buddies kyoandyuya, Subinita, Kuri Quinn and youseimami for helping out with my depression and writer's block.**

 **And even a bigger thanks to all you lovely readers *blows a kiss* I started this fic on a whim and its really a surprise treat to find out that it has reached 15.4k reads and 1k votes. I mean I can just never thank you people enough.🙏**

 **An important thing before you proceed onto the chapter: I may be gone for long but I'll never leave my fics unfinished. I know the pain one feels when coming across a plot of their liking only to realise that it has been left unfinished for xyz years. I'll complete all my fanfics. It's a pinky-swear with you loves.**

 **And as I had said before, "In the world of writers, those who go on hiatuses are trash but those who abandon their books are worse than trash."😉**

 **So let's have a short recap of everything that has happened so far in this tale:-**

 **The fourth shinobi war's victors were Uchihas who now rule the whole shinobi world with Madara as the self-claimed Hokage. Naruto is no more and Kakashi is in a coma. Sai and Sakura are the only members of Team 7 and they work together along with a few other rebels under the name of FoK. Sai also happens to work in the anbu directly under the Uchihas, thus, acting as a double agent. In order tostop the annihilation of the Hyuga Clan which was planned by the Uchihas, Sakura decides to make a deal with Sasuke. She offers herself to him in a bond of marriage in exchange for the lives of many innocent Hyugas. When her marriage is revealed to the whole world, she is treated as a traitor amongst the rebels. Later on, she finds out that the head of the Hyuga Clan,Hiashi has been assassinated and begins to doubt Sasuke's promise to her. Caught up in his anger Neji reveals about his knowledge of the planned annihilation and just as the Uchihas are about to interrogate him, Sai comesinandtakes him to the funeral held for Hiashi in excuse to actually save his neck. Sasuke recalls and is confused about howSakura and Neji came to know of this annihilation and questions her directly. He then realises how Sai may have been the one who told those two but the question is 'why'. He leaves Sakura for the time being and heads to the burial grounds with the thought of interrogating both Neji and Sai.**

 **If this summary didn't help out much, feel free to read the previous chapter :3**

 **Now back to the chapter..**

* * *

 ** _"My hands are drenched in sin.._**

 ** _..but that doesn't mean I'm heartless."_**

 ** _-Suigetsu Hozuki_**

* * *

 **Chapter: 13**

* * *

The two have been sitting silently in his small apartment for an hour now, both lost in deep thought about the next step that they must take. Or rather,the necessary step that they must take now that Neji has literally jeopardized their cover by lashing out in front of the Uchihas. And in doing so, he has also threatened Sai and Sakura's neck along with the whole secret about the FoK.

Sai watched the Hyuga Prodigy meditate with barely concealed can't help himself from wondering about what would've happened to this man had he not shown up at the Hokage's room when he did. Who knows? Maybe Neji would've earned himself a death sentence? Or worst! Maybe he would've been tortured to the point where he would've been left with no choice but to spill-out everything about their small group of rebels?! The thought in itself is terrorising. The ex-root nin shook his head and decided to distract himself with something less scary. And weirdly, his distraction came in the form of Neji's periodic inhale and exhale of the surrounding air.

Sai gazed at the continuously inflating and deflating chest of the Hyuga. With eyes closed, Neji tried focusing more on controlling his chakra. Sai felt fascinated by him and pondered on whether he must capture this moment on one of his canvases. It'll be a lovely addition to his growing collection of paintings. But not just Neji, Sai is fascinated by all the different people around him. They can teach him important things about life just as much as his team-mates do. Well..talking about teammates, none are currently available to help Sai with his emotional problems. Now that Sakura is betrothed to the infamous second grandson of Madara Uchiha, he is left with no other choice but to resort back to his guide books. How he wishes to discuss about all such things with her.

"Can you stop staring?"muttered the Hyuga, eyes still closed in concentration.

The artist tried an apologetic smile in a similar manner that he has read about in a book but the Hyuga only frowned. It's a mystery how he can understand the ex-root nin's fake expression even with his eyes shut like that. Nonetheless, Sai spoke, "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to formulate a plan about what I can do with you now that you've landed the three of us in such a conundrum."

"Three?" Neji asked, inhaling yet again.

"Yes", Sai picked up a sketch-pad and a brush as he began with a rough sketch of the long-haired prodigy, "You, me and Sakura. The Uchihas may let the matter go but Sasuke won't sit still until he reaches the very bottom of this whole thing."

A long sigh left the prodigy's lips and he stood-up, breaking the calm atmosphere that he had created with his meditation. "You're right. Besides, we only have an hour until the funeral ceremony gets over."

"Yes and I bet that Sasuke will come at you the instant that funeral ends. And he will not let this go until he uncovers every last speck of detail about us." Sai added gravely.

"Well, he'll probably torture me to the point I can take it no more and then make me talk. So I came up with this idea while I was meditating." He said and Sai urged him to go on, "What if he never finds me? Like Sakura did with that disguise of hers'."

Sai shook his head in negation, "Before we can delve any further into this thought I'd like to remind you that Ugly is a pro at chakra control unlike you or myself. So we need to do something else about hiding your identity. Just a simple henge won't work in your case."

Neji nodded in understanding. He knew that Sai would mention this and so, he moved on to his next suggestion "In that case..how about this?"

* * *

With the arrival of the Hokage and his minions at the Sacred Hyuga Burial Grounds, an elderly Hyuga member began the Funeral Ceremony by a long prayer in respect of the departed one. And as everyone closed their eyes in prayer, Sasuke Uchiha scanned the whole place, his obsidians looking around in pursuit of a certain Ex-Root assassin and a Prodigy from the Hyuga Clan. But even under the effects of his eternal mangekyou sharingan, he was unable to locate any matching suspects. From what he can recall, it was Sai who had practically dragged a frightened-looking Neji Hyuga out of the Hokage's office, right when Neji spilled-out his knowledge about the annihilation of the Hyuga Clan. There's no need to have any great deduction skills to figure out that the two are hiding- no- conspiring something! And whatever it is that they are plotting to accomplish, is also known to Sakura. It's ridiculous how he completely ignored the fact that she proposed a deal of marriage with him in exchange for the lives of the Hyugas. He must've been more focused and paid attention to how she came to know about that annihilation. But oh well..thanks to his distracting ex-teammate, he let his guard down and failed in noticing how suspicious her and Neji's involvement in this whole matter _is_.

Taking another glance around the place, he grit his teeth. There were literally no traces of any of the two suspects he's been searching for. Where did they disappear off to? Or what exactly are they doing as of right now? Are they initiating their plans already? Has the first step already been put in action? More importantly, he doesn't even know what they are working on!

 _Dammit!_

He took a long breath to calm his flaring nerves and decided to do one last scan of the area. The first person that his eyes fell upon was Hinata Hyuga. He frowned as he watched the young Hyuga Princess' eyes closed in respect for her father. Its not like she can ever replace her father. There's only one person worthy enough of this position and that is Neji Hyuga from the branch family but even Sasuke knows that the main family will never allow something like this. The Hyugas aren't any less than the Uchihas when it comes to biasing.

He turned his head slightly back and found a former comrade, Shikamaru Nara standing directly behind him with his parents and a blonde, pigtailed woman. He recognises her because he had faced her once when he was still a willing shinobi of the Leaf. He is well-aware about her presence in this village. Well, it's not like she is the only one as after the war ended in their victory, the whole world of shinobi turned into a big mess of panicky civilians and ninja to this haphazardness, a lot of the people were unable to return to their respective homelands. And since then, the village gates have been under constant surveillance because of which nobody is allowed to enter or leave at their free will. If there's any need to depart, the individual will first have to consult the nasty Hokage himself.

"What is it Uchiha?" an edgy, feminine tone asked him and it took him a moment to realize that it was the same blonde woman. At her side, Shikamaru scratched his jaw uneasily.

Such firm was her gaze that Sasuke felt himself unable to utter even a word to her.

She smirked teasingly, "Stop staring at me. You're a _married_ man now."

The remark was spewed at him out of spite and disgust she feels towards him for chaining her pink-haired friend in a bond of marriage. And it was more than enough to spur his emotions. He narrowed his eyebrows and glared at her in what he thinks is his most menacing look but it didn't even make her budge. If anything, her lips only curved further upwards. It's almost like she's trying to spite him into some sort of outburst. Anyways, why the hell is she even gazing at him so smugly when her eyes are supposed to be closed in prayer like everyone else's?

"What?" she gestured with a nudge of her head, "Don't have a comeback?"

Comeback? How dare she? Who does she think she is, trying a childish banter with him? _Him?_ He can kill her right here if he wants to but since he has always been surrounded by idiots like her, he knows how to keep his anger in check. His eyes shifted slightly from her face when he noticed some movement. It was the young Nara's palm that sneakily encircled her wrist, signalling her to stop. She turned her head towards Shikamaru and stared at him questioningly.

The young Nara ignored her look and instead bowed his head to Sasuke, "I'm sorry. The edginess is just a part of her personality. She doesn't mean to taunt you."

Sasuke watched her expression change as she heard those words. A big smile settled upon her lips. A big _mocking_ smile and she herself apologised to him, ofcourse in a manner that ridiculed him even further. His fingers were itching to just strangle that little neck of hers but just as he motioned his hands, all eyes flew open.

The ceremony was over and a couple of eyes glanced confusedly between him, Shikamaru and the blonde girl, wondering exactly what was going on. With a heavy sigh, Sasuke managed to alleviate some of his anger and left the burial grounds in search of Neji Hyuga.

Behind him, Shikamaru released a breath in relief.

* * *

When she woke up, the whole apartment shook by the intensity of her horrified scream. Her shoulders shook with fear as she could still feel those crimson orbs boring holes into her frightful emeralds. And here she thought that those nightmares were finally gone...Surprise! Surprise! They had never really left..They were just lurking in the depths of her dark thoughts laced in fear, anticipating the right time to launch an attack. She can still remember that dream along with all of the vivid details. The dense chakra that was surrounding the aura of that avenger- Sasuke! He charged his left hand with a chidori and struck it right into the heart of her innocent, blond teammate, ending his life then and their. And as Sasuke did so, the blood went splashing all around him, drenching every inch of his skin in that Hokage-wannabe's blood. She can still remember herself sitting there, kneeling right before the whole scenario, tears streaming down her cheeks endlessly. Every time in her vision, he would turn around at this very moment and his piercing crimsons would clash with her scared emeralds. And he would inch closer towards her, pressing his lips against hers, smearing them with that very same blood of her dead teammate...

Just the shear memory made her scream again and that too, louder this time...Immediately, the door to her room burst open and in stepped the two sycophants that Sasuke has left to keep watch on her at all lifted her eyelids slightly and flashed them a menacing glare.

"What do you want?" She whispered hoarsely in an irate tone.

* * *

The minute her scream reached their ears, Suigetsu and Juugo slammed the door open and ran in to check-up on the situation, completely prepared for whatever it was awaiting their entrance behind her door. Shockingly, they only found her gnawing at the skin of her innocently beautiful face. A second passed with her glaring at them, her fingernails digging painfully into her cheeks and them confusedly staring back at her.

"What do you want?" She whispered in a tight tone.

"We heard you scream. Are you alright?" Juugo asked with genuine concern swirling in his scarlet-red irises.

"You can tell Sasuke that I'm dealing well with all his confinements." She answered in a sarcastic tone.

"For your kind info, Sasuke never asked us to do this." Suigetsu spoke, his hand gripping the hilt of his huge blade a bit too hard.

No doubt they have been sent here by Sasuke to make sure that she is safe. Why? Well..because now that she is an Uchiha, as entitled by Madara himself, there are people who will try and grasp every chance they can to kill the young bride of his grandson. They have been sent here for the sole purpose of her protection at all costs but they aren't supposed to tell her about this. Heh! "She will understand..."-those were the exact words spoken by their young boss. Sasuke doesn't want them to tell her. She will understand?! How?! Last time that Suigetsu checked, she wasn't a psychic and she isn't one now! So the chances of her understanding Sasuke's motives without them having to explain her are very slim.

"Yeah..Yeah..Just like he never asked you to keep me locked-up at my apartment." She uttered with excruciating emphasis on every word.

"Huh..." Suigetsu exhaled audibly and closed his eyes, "Now listen-"

"I'm an Uchiha right?! Then..why was I restricted to attend Hiashi Hyuga's funeral?!" She yelled, tears clouding her mesmerizing irises.

He wants to tell her so badly about Sasuke's intentions but he simply cannot go against his master's orders. Frustrated at the fact and at himself, he closed his eyes and heaved a long sigh. When he re-opened them, he found the young medic already out of her bed, standing in her black, knee-high boots. And that sight alone, made him release another long sigh. Seriously? Does she ever stay at home and sleep like a normal girl must? No? Well..Karin did..

 _Karin.._ He sighed. That redhead was kinda bitchy but Suigetsu has to admit that he kinda misses her.

The swordsman rubbed his eyes to keep himself from overreacting and asked the pinkette, "Where are you going?"

She bade him no response, which is not even surprising anymore. He has gotten pretty used to her weird antics. And so, as she made her way out of her bedroom and left her apartment, him and Juugo were left with no other choice but to follow her. A sense of déjà vu passed his thoughts as Juugo closed the main door of her apartment.

Blood had started to ooze out from the places she had been gnawing at on her cheeks. _Why isn't she healing herself?_ He thought but then immediately felt like smacking himself. Ofcourse it has to do with that stupid bracelet that Kabuto has put on her. Healing is an intricate procedure and requires a lot of chakra and focus.

"Do you enjoy this?" Suigetsu asked, sweat trickling down his brow.

"Enjoy what?" she asked as she continued marching in the direction of only god knows what place.

"Getting us all worked-up!" the swordsman yelled, finally losing his cool. Her lack of concern for her own skin irked him even more. Karin would've never let even a single scar stay on her cheek. Karin would've tried everything in her might to look pretty every single fucking day. Karin would..Karin isn't here anymore..

He sighed in frustration and tried focus on Sakura again."You know Sasuke won't be pleased when he finds out-"

"Does it look like I care?" she drawled out.

"Well..it must. Because when he finds out, he's gonna kill us all." Suigetsu tried his best to emphasize the 'kill' part but the young medic continued walking. And yet again, he moved his lips to shout some sense into her head but a large hand on his shoulder stopped him from doing so. He glanced at the shaky palm and then at it's equally fidgety owner- Juugo. The expression on his face was enough to convey that he was controlling his anger the best he could and so, Suigetsu decided to let the matter go. For the time being atleast. Afterall, it's fine as long as Sasuke is the one who kills them. He will grant a quick, merciful death. An enraged Juugo on the other hand, will tear him and Sakura to shreds but only after making sure to beat them to a pulp. Suigetsu doesn't want such a death. And he's damn sure Sakura shares the same thoughts.

* * *

The déjà vu hit Suigetsu yet again as they entered the rusty, old building of the Konoha Hospital. If they are here, then ofcourse the pinkette wants to see none other than her half-dead mentor. Crossing the dirty halls that led towards the secluded ward,Suigetsu and Juugo watched in silence as the small key was inserted into the hole and the knob was turned. Sakura walked in with a heaviness in her heart and before the minds of the former S-class nins could comprehend what was happening, she threw herself over the unmoving body of the infamous copy-nin. Unexpectedly loud sobs reached the men's ears and they watched in shock the continuous shaking of the young medic's shoulders as she shed tears.

What Suigetsu had heard from his buddy Sai was the fact that team 7 is not just a team but a family. It was hard to believe those words when he had first heard them but it is far-easier to understand their depth now that he is experiencing them with his very own eyes. His eyes remained fixated on Sakura as she wept over the silver-haired man's form as if he was actually her father. Okay, maybe not. But in his own way, Kakashi is like a father to team 7.

"You.." they heard her sob out in a soft yet shrill tone, her tears mixing with the dried blood on her cheeks, "You said that you won't let me shoulder the burden on my own. You _promised_..."

The whole room went quiet again, followed by the hysterical sobbing of the pink-haired kunoichi. With her face burrowed into the chest of her former teacher, her hands clutched at the fabric of his shirt and she cried. She cried and cried and cried..and they watched. Both Suigetsu and Juugo were unable to look away from the pitiful sight before their eyes. It made them contemplate and question their own acts. Are they on the right side? Ofcourse not. Can they help her out of this? Maybe? Maybe not. Who knows? At this point, the only thing that is clear to them is that she doesn't belong anywhere near that Uchiha den.

"You _know_ why I married him.." she lifted her head and whispered to the sleeping man, "You know exactly why.. So pleaassse..wake up, Sensei. Wake up and take away some of my burden..." She gazed hopefully at the man lying on the stretcher but her words proved to be futile. The man didn't even budge. Juugo honestly felt an ache in his heart. He _maybe_ on the wrong side but he isn't a bad wants to help Sakura. He genuinely does. He just has no idea where or how to begin..

Three hours passed in that hospital ward with Sakura talking to her comatose sensei and Suigetsu discussing with Juugo about how to actually handle being guards to such a fragile girl. One misstep and she'll break.

* * *

Sakura wiped her teary face with the back of her sweaty palms and turned around to find Sasu- her husband's faithful sycophants waiting for her. Bidding them no signal, she walked right past them out of the room, knowing they'll undoubtedly follow.

Now that she has freely let out her emotional pain to someone, she is ready to sacrifice herself and stand next to the Uchihas. All her friends think of her as a traitor and it's better this way. Atleast her false betrayal will act as a positive motivator. It'll rile their sentimental connections to her and help them realise their goal much easily. The rebels will work far-better in her absence.

* * *

Upon reaching her small apartment, she felt an intense gaze pierce through her carefully constructed mask of apathy. She knew exactly whom those eyes belonged to and without even an ounce of fear in her form, she tilted her face, her emeralds meeting the onyxes. By the deep frown marring his face, it was obvious that he wasn't pleased about something and clearly that "something" is linked with her. Still, she climbed the three short steps up the porch and stood directly in front of him, awaiting his angry tirade.

"Where were you?" he gritted out.

"Not a matter of your concern." came her curt response.

He exhaled a breath through his nose and she watched his nostrils flare in unbridled a Sasuke-thing to do. She scoffed inwardly and watched the riled up Uchiha inch closer towards her. She kept her gaze. She wasn't intimidated by him in the least. He has already tried to kill her twice so she isn't much scared of dying by his hands. Much to her surprise though, a heavy, shiny object swished in between her and him, breaking the tense atmosphere in an instant-Suigetsu's huge sword. Taking a long breath, Sasuke turned to the side to face the intrusive person and his eyes changed to red, the black tomoes spinning wildly as he seethed at the man. Sakura's eyes on the other hand widened in actual shock when she found that it was Suigetsu who had intervened between them. Why did he?

The white-haired rogue-nin simply stared at his master, his lips a thin line that expressed no emotion whatsoever. When he had decided to serve Sasuke, he had planned to stay out of his boss's way..he had planned to stay out of trouble. But things have changed. _He_ has changed. Watching this pink-haired medic weep in front of her unresponsive sensei stirred something in him. And if this is the last bit of good that he has within him, then he surely wants to utilise it to his best. His inner conflict has finally ended and he has reached a conclusion. He maybe working under the Uchihas but he'll properly safeguard Sakura Haruno. It's better to die the death of a kind bodyguard than an S-class shinobi who used to kill for fun.

"I'm-We're sorry, Sasuke-sama." Juugo was the one who spoke-up for his lean partner, nodding his head at the swordsman in agreement. If Suigetsu is ready then he is too. Afterall, he had never wanted to be the bad guy. It's just life offered him limited options and he had to choose the least bad from amongst them. But now as he glanced between his master and his newfound bride, who also happens to be a kind woman, he has changed his mind from just 'spending the days and dying' to doing something good for the sake of redemption..to achieve true piece at the time of his demise.

"We can't let your hostile nature hurt Sakura-san because this is exactly what you had ordered us to do." He explained honestly.

If anything one of Sasuke's eyebrows arched high up in question of such insolence. He had expected eventual discord and disrespect from Suigetsu. He has never been able to trust the mist-nin but he had always expected Juugo to be a faithful one. So what exactly did Sakura do to win over his dogs? Moments of him glaring ferociously at them did nothing to melt their determination to protect the young kunoichi. They stood before her like a shield and the pinkette watched in silent amazement. It's almost as if she hadn't expected them to protect her.

With his sharingan now faded back to reveal his beautiful greyish-onyx orbs, he sighed raggedly and asked her again in a much calmer tone, "Where were you?"

She scoffed, only this time not inwardly. She shook her head at him and countered his query with a question of her own, "Why do you even care?"

Sasuke's left hand moved and he grabbed tightly onto the hilt of his kusanagi. Sakura's eyes followed, noticing the subtle action of the man she had fallen for. And with a piercing gaze, he gritted out, "Because Neji Hyuga was found dead an hour ago and I don't want to find out that _my_ wife was behind his murder."

Sakura gulped calmly in the eerie silence that followed his words. And then, she shrieked, "WHAT!?"

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, so this marks the end of the chapter. I know its not the best one but I still hope you guys liked it..:)**

 **What do you think about Neji's death?**

 **Or Suigetsu and Juugo's newfound fealty towards Sakura?**

 **More angst in the coming chapters.**

 **And once again, thanks for being such patient readers. I really love you guys..**

 **Oh! In the meantime, if you are an ARMY or a Park Jimin Stan, then kindly give a try to my first ever Idol fanfic which is a Jimin X Reader entitled "My Guardian Kitty" :3**

 **If you don't want to, it's fine..:3**

 **Don't forget to share your thoughts about this chapter cuz believe me or not, I read all your comments. They are fun to read and always keep me motivated! :D**

 **And do let me know if you find any errors.**

 **Hopefully I'll make another update soon..:3**

 _ **Until Next Time...**_

 _ **~Manika**_


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